


The Marshmallow Chronicles

by livingthroughchoices



Series: The Marshmallow Chronicles [1]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, The Royal Romance, angsty Drake, he can be kind of a dick, mention of depression, mention of suicide, the first few chapters are T but eventually it will be NSFW and idk how to tag by chapter so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-05-26 04:00:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 84,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14992295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingthroughchoices/pseuds/livingthroughchoices
Summary: Being best friends with the heir to the Cordonian throne is not easy, especially when you're a commoner. The only thing that could complicate this more would be falling for the same girl...Or alternatively (since I'm terrible at summaries), this is essentially the TRR books rewritten from Drake's POV, so the story is extremely canon, with some extra bits added here and there by yours truly.





	1. Once Upon a Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This fanfic is posted to my Tumblr (livingthroughchoices.tumblr.com) but I thought I'd post it here, too, so that anyone without a Tumblr can read (:
> 
> This is my first ever attempt at fanfiction, so I'm sure there's lots to improve, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thanks for reading <3

He stood awkwardly, feeling out of place in the elegant, ornate ballroom even without his usual denim-shirt-over-a-white-t-shirt combo. The standing around and being ill at ease was par for the course for him when it came to this kind of events, but there was something different this time. Underneath the awkwardness, he felt anxious, more anxious than he ever remembered feeling.

It wasn’t very noticeable; Liam would normally be able to tell if he weren’t so busy being infatuated. He felt a stab of bitterness at that and immediately regretted it. If anyone was in the wrong here it was him. He knew from the very beginning what the situation was, the reason she was even in Cordonia. He had absolutely no business feeling anything other than friendship towards her, at most. And yet… 

He spotted her with that laser precision that he seemed to have developed against his will. She looked stunning in a daring red dress, which she had no doubt chosen – the thought made him smile to himself – to spite Olivia. 

He shook his head with a mix of amusement and annoyance. Why did she have to be this way? How could she find a way to make him laugh when she wasn’t even saying anything? But it was more than that. He couldn’t get over how brave she always was, how she always took the first step, how she pushed against the walls he’d built; walls he never thought anyone would care enough to try to break down.

At that point he interrupted his train of thought, knowing it didn’t lead anywhere pleasant. Sure, they’d had a few… moments between them, but when push came to shove, Liam would offer her a kingdom, and she would choose him. He couldn’t blame her. Well, a small, petty part of him could, but he tried his hardest to shove it way down deep; neither of them deserved his resentment.

Riley was getting the last word in a classic biting exchange with Olivia, before taking Liam’s hand and letting him lead the way to the dance floor. Drake watched in admiration and jealousy as they danced a perfect waltz. She twirled gracefully and he felt all his worst instincts, his most spiteful feelings bubble up inside him.  _See? She’s definitely one of them now, you idiot. I can’t believe you thought even for a second that she might choose you._

He’d been so preoccupied with the savage pleasure of giving in, of blaming her, Liam, the whole world, that he hadn’t noticed the song ending. He came back to the moment just as Riley made a beeline for him.

“Riley.” The sight of her in that seductive red dress startled him into calling her by her first name.

“Drake.” She sounded just as shocked as he felt at his slip up. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

He suspected she was only saying that to fill the silence that threatened to form between them; after all, he’d been at nearly every royal event this season. This was, however, the one event he would have given up whiskey forever just to get out of. 

“Liam insisted,” he offered. “I guess I should congratulate you.” He tried and failed to keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Oh?” she questioned. He hated her in that moment. Why make this so much more difficult? Why pretend like she didn’t know what he was talking about, when she knew full well that she was minutes away from getting engaged to his best friend? It made him want to punch a wall to see what looked like genuine confusion on the face he’d come to know so well.

“You look exactly like one of them,” he spit out. “I guess you  _are_  one of them, now.”

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, knowing they weren’t just harsh, but unfair; she hadn’t changed at all. Maybe that was why he said it, to try to make himself believe that she was different, that she was part of that group he despised, to stop feeling that goddamn way about her.

“This time tomorrow, you might be the future queen. And then our lives are going to go in very different directions.” There. He definitely didn’t fix it, but at least he voiced a small part of his concerns, rather than hiding behind cruel comments.

“Drake, if I’m chosen to be the Prince’s bride, you’ll have to start bowing to me,” she joked in reply. 

The corner of his mouth quirked up.  _Leave it to Addams to lighten the mood._

“Heh. The bowing, I can handle.”  _You being married to my best friend? Not so much._ He settled for a more subtle, “But I’ll also have to attend your wedding…” Even that much crossed the line. He knew that, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Drake… Are you saying…?”

_You know_ damn _well what I’m saying!_ But of course, this was not the time or the place. He shrugged a bit, shaking himself out of it. Time to be a grown up for a change. “Forget it. You know what? I’m happy for you. If anyone deserves to live happily ever after, it’s you, Riley.” 

He said this last part fervently, surprised at how much he meant it. It was nice to know that underneath all his shitty, selfish feelings, he still cared more about others’ happiness. 

“If I get too cocky, just remind me that the first time we met, I was taking out the garbage and waiting tables.”

“Feels like so long ago, now. Can’t believe it’s only been a few months.” To think he’d just seen her as “the waitress” at first, and then Liam’s suitor…

“Yeah. But after everything that’s happened, it feels more like  _once upon a time…_ ”

* * *

 

“Hey, Drake! Are you ready to go or what? Drake? Drake? Draaaake?” Each time his name was called was punctuated by a shake of the mattress he was sitting on as Maxwell bounced up and down in an attempt to get his attention away from his phone. 

“Will saying yes make you stop doing that? Forever?”

“No way, man! What if someday we’re in a life or death situation that requires my bed-jumping skills and I can’t do it because I promised you, huh? What then?”

“Okay, if we’re ever in a ‘life or death’ situation that requires your…  _skills_ , you can break your promise.”

“What about party-related–”

“FINE. Just stop it NOW.”

Maxwell caught a glimpse of Drake’s phone from above him. He’d been staring at a contact with the name “Mom” for 10 minutes. He plopped down next to him.

“Hey, is everything okay? You look…” Drake glared at him. “Thoughtful?”

“I’m fine,” he replied shortly, hastily pocketing his phone.

It was the truth. Kind of. He was not  _not_  fine, at any rate. Sure, he wouldn’t mind talking to someone about his complicated feelings towards his mom, but Maxwell was definitely not that someone. Ordinarily, Liam would be, but he was not about to ruin his best friend’s bachelor party with his unnecessary family drama. Besides, what use was rehashing it? He’d made his decision and that was that.

“Is  _that_  what you’re wearing?” Tariq’s pompous voice shook him out of his reverie.

Drake didn’t bother answering.

* * *

They arrived at the dive bar that Drake remembered from his brief college experience ahead of Liam. That pretty boy look he had going on wasn’t effortless. Oh, he made it  _seem_  that way, but Liam took almost at long as Tariq to get ready; the only reason the latter had been ready on time was they’d told him they were leaving half an hour earlier than they actually were. 

Still, Drake couldn’t blame him: the way the Crown Prince looked  _mattered_ , and no one could argue with the results; Liam’s dark eyes and charming smile had men and women positively swooning wherever he went.

“Waitress, there you are. We need your best table!” Drake cringed a little at Tariq’s self-important tone and shot the waitress – a cute, but average girl who seemed a few years younger than them – an apologetic smile.

“Forget the table. Just bring us whiskey, and lots of it.” She smiled back and started to reply when her coworker waved her over. She gestured for them to give her a moment. As the colleagues talked, the manager came up to their group and obsequiously showed them to what he assured them was the best table.

In fact, every table looked pretty much the same. Some of them were booths and others had stools, but they all had identical cracked, brown pleather covers. The walls were plastered in generic sports paraphernalia; team posters, jerseys, black and white team photos. There was a dartboard hanging on the back wall. Funnily enough, all the tables, including the “best” one seemed to be perpetually sticky.

The waitress from earlier came up to them. “Hello, gentlemen. I’ll be taking care of you this evening.”

“Waitress, steaks for the table.” 

Drake rolled his eyes. Leave it to royals to be so out of touch… and Maxwell was supposed to be one of the good ones! 

“How about some filet mignon, medium rare and prepared with a béarnaise sauce?” 

Okay, so maybe Maxwell  _was_  one of the good ones, but was Tariq really a good comparison? The bar had never been lower.

“The closest thing we have to filet mignon is the deluxe burger.” 

He thought he could detect a hint of amusement in the waitress’ voice. He had been about to jump in and save her from his clueless companions, but now he was curious.

“Dare I ask for your wine list?” Tariq plowed on. 

“We’ve got an excellent vintage house red…” The waitress offered with twinkling eyes.

“ _House red?_ ” spluttered Tariq, as if being offered boxed wine.

“It also comes in white,” she replied unruffled. 

Drake sniggered at Tariq’s scandalized expression. “We’ll be fine with a bottle of whiskey… and four deluxe burgers.” 

“Four?” Drake nodded and waved at Liam, who had just entered the room behind the waitress. She turned and Drake saw Liam’s already charming smile widen.

“Sorry I’m late. Thank you for you patience, Miss…?”

“Uh, Riley.” He realized he hadn’t even bothered asking for her name. _I’m such a jerk. I guess that’s why Liam gets the ladies._

“Charmed to make your acquaintance, Riley.”

“Trust me, the pleasure’s all mine. It’s nice to meet you,” she said this in quick succession, with a nervous smile. “Now let me go put your order in. Be right back!”

She scurried away to the kitchen and Liam took a seat next to Drake.

“Hey, man, what took you so long?”

“Honestly, I was jet-lagged and my 20 minute nap turned into an hour and 20 minutes,” he admitted guiltily.

“Smart, you need all your energy to TEAR UP THE DANCE FLOOR!” Maxwell complemented this last part with wild arm movements that threatened to knock the salt and pepper shakers over. Drake moved them out of harm’s way.

Liam chuckled. “I’m not sure we’re going to a club, actually.”

“WHAT?!”

“Great! My outfit will be all wrong!”

Maxwell and Tariq’s respective complaints came at the same time as the waitress –  _Riley, she_ just _said it, dude_  – with their drinks. They all thanked her and waited until she left to resume what was quickly going to become an argument unless Drake intervened.

“Look, shut up, you two. In case you forgot, this is  _Liam’s_ bachelor party, so we’re doing whatever he wants, got it? Besides, we went clubbing yesterday.”

“Drake, thank you, but it doesn’t have to be about me. If everyone else wants to go to a club, we can go.”

Maxwell looked like he might be about to agree, but reconsidered when Drake gave him a meaningful look. Liam never really got to do anything he wanted; he deserved this.

“No, no, Drake’s right! I’m uh… all… partied out?”

Drake and Liam snorted at Maxwell’s unconvincing lie, which Liam was nevertheless thankful for. 

“Me too! And I’m sure this outfit will be more than acceptable for whichever activity you choose, Liam,” added Tariq.

Riley came back with their food. Drake noticed Liam thanking her much too warmly for his fairly mediocre burger.

“So, Liam, who do you think you’re gonna choose, huh?” Tariq asked, waggling his eyebrows. Drake tried to make eye contact with him and shake his head, to no avail. He felt Liam tense next to him.

“I really don’t know, Tariq. They’re all charming ladies, but there’s so much depending on my decision.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Well, that’s what the season is for, huh? So don’t worry about that now, man.” Drake calmed him.

“Right, okay, but if you  _had_  to choose someone now…” Maxwell trailed off under Drake’s glare, then changed his question, “Not one of the suitors necessarily, just what kind of qualities are you looking for?”

“That’s a great question, Maxwell. I think I’d want someone who’s not afraid to stand up for herself, someone who knows when to be diplomatic and when to be brave, someone I can feel free with…” His eyes were far away, but his gaze had fallen on Riley, Drake saw.

“Yeah, but what about physically?” Tariq interrupted. “Because, for me, Lady Hana–”

“Ooh yeah, Lady Hana’s got it going ON!” enthused Maxwell.

“She’s very beautiful,” agreed Liam.

“Yeah, she ain’t bad, but personally, I think Lady Kiara’s hotter.” Drake jumped in.

“Hotter than Lady Hana?! Are you insane?” Tariq practically yelled.

Liam watched his friends talk about his suitors with a small smile, happy to see them having a lighthearted conversation, for once. Not wanting to think about those particular ladies too much, he excused himself. Drake watched him talking to the waitress and, to his surprise, felt apprehensive. The way Liam was looking at her… he’d never seen him so engaged with any of the ladies in court.

* * *

They were waiting for Liam,  _again._  He came out of the restaurant and, oddly, asked them to wait a bit longer. After about 5 minutes, Riley came out, wearing a plain black shirt and jeans.

“Hang on… The waitress is coming with us?” The words had left him before he’d had a chance to think about how much like a dick he sounded. 

Liam shot him a questioning look. He definitely wasn’t the only one who thought he came off as a dick, then. “Actually, we’re going with  _her._ She’s picking our next destination.”

“So she’s our tour guide now?”  _What are you doing?! Stop it!_  He knew he was being childish, but this was their last night with Liam before everything changed and it  _was_  supposed to be a bachelor party, for God’s sake!  _Of course, everyone knows it’s not a bachelor party till your waitress shows up and tags along!_ He rolled his eyes.

“Riley was kind enough to agree to show us around. She’s doing us a favor, so play nice.” Liam chided. Drake felt his cheeks heat up with shame and nodded. Riley, however, seemed completely undaunted by his attitude. He took that as a chance to stop acting like an idiot. 

“Fine. So, where are we going, then?” He asked this in the general direction of Riley, without addressing her, still embarrassed.

“A secret cove,” she replied with a wide smile.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Maxwell and Tariq’s expressions fall; clearly, there would be no dance floor involved in the night’s activities. He, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised. A night outdoors, off the beaten paths of New York?  _Sign me up!_

* * *

Riley delivered. Drake grudgingly said as much when they arrived. 

The cove was intimate, peaceful. A small piece of beach was surrounded by cliffs and bordered by a cave. They all automatically looked skyward in awe at the hundreds of visible stars. Under all the twinkling lights and enveloped by the  _whoosh_ -ing of the waves, New York could not feel further away. 

Drake knew right away what he wanted to do. “We should build a bonfire.”

“I’m not doing manual labor,” Tariq sounded insulted by the very idea.

“Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. What I meant was,  _I’ll go build a bonfire_.” He preferred doing this sort of thing alone anyway; other people only slowed you down. He looked around for driftwood.

“This place is awesome! SKINNY DIPPING!”

Tariq gasped and averted his eyes. “Keep your pants on, Maxwell.”

Maxwell ignored him and stripped down to his boxers, keeping his shirt on.  _What a weirdo._  He ran to the water, yelling for Drake to join him. 

“Not gonna happen.” He went back to looking for driftwood. He found a big pile near the cave and before long, he had a big bonfire going. Maxwell immediately got out of the water, shivering, and warmed himself up, giving Drake a sheepish smile. 

Drake heard splashing and turned just in time to see Liam and Riley running into the ocean. He hoped, not for the first time that night, that Liam knew what he was doing.  _He’s a grown-ass man, dude, relax._ He took off his shoes and socks and headed towards the water. The other two followed; Maxwell with a grin, Tariq with a grimace.

“I thought it was ‘not gonna happen’, Drake?” Maxwell asked smugly.

“Shut up, Maxwell,” he replied, though maybe for the first time in this trip, he didn’t mean it.

He splashed Maxwell, which triggered a fierce splashing battle between them, until Maxwell winked at him and directed his biggest splash yet towards Tariq, who was standing at a careful distance.

“Got ya, Tariq!” 

Drake doubled over laughing at Tariq’s outraged face and even clapped Maxwell on the back.

“I told you, these shoes are leather!”

“Aw, lighten up, Tariq. You’ve got, what, a hundred pairs?” he asked, wiping tears from his eyes.

* * *

The night wound down to a close and, after putting out the bonfire, they started the long walk home. At a certain point, wordlessly, they separated; it was obvious Liam wanted some time alone with Riley. 

That didn’t mean he could dodge his friends’ questions when he got back, though.

“So? Did you kiss her?!” Maxwell could not sound more excited if it had been  _him_ kissing a pretty girl.

“Forget about that! Did you make love?” asked Tariq suggestively, swinging his hips.

“Okay, first of all, I think I speak for all of us when I say: ew,” deadpanned Drake. “Second of all, it’s been barely 20 minutes, dude, so unless it was the fastest – and probably most terrible – sex in the history of humankind, I highly doubt it.”

Liam laughed and shook his head. “Drake’s right, we didn’t… you know,” he cleared his throat. “In fact, we didn’t even kiss. To be honest, I’d thought maybe we would but…” he shrugged, “I guess I misread the signals.”

“Well, maybe it’s for the best, you know?” Drake put an arm around his best friend. “You don’t wanna get hung up on some girl you’re never gonna see again.”


	2. Welcome to Cordonia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxwell decides to sponsor Riley so she can be one of Liam's suitors and she flies back with them to Cordonia. Drake is not happy.

By the time Drake got up the next morning, Liam had gone back to Cordonia for some diplomatic event, thankfully taking Tariq – always eager to suck up to nobles – with him. Maxwell had already gone for a run, showered and had breakfast.

“Finally! Ten more minutes and I would’ve had to wake you up!” said Maxwell, handing him a croissant from the fancy bakery down the street.

“And then I would’ve had to kick your ass,” Drake’s sharp tone was undercut by the grateful look he gave Maxwell. He hungrily tore into his croissant.

“So, listen, I had an idea...”

“Maxwell, is this about your stupid underwater club again?! Because I swear to God–”

"Hey! I stand by Club Sub! It’s a great idea and you’ll regret not getting in on the ground fl...” he feels Drake glaring and him and chooses to let it go. “Anyway, no, this is not about that. It’s about Riley.”

“Riley who?” Drake asked absentmindedly, wiping crumbs off his mouth.

“Are you serious? The waitress from yesterday?”

Drake had the decency to feel ashamed of himself. “Right,  _that_ Riley, sure. So, what’s your idea?”

“We should bring her to Cordonia! You know, to surprise Liam! House Beaumont could sponsor her!”

“What! How is this  _worse_  than Club Sub?!”

“For the last time, Club Sub is going to be a WILD success, and this is  _also_  a great idea. Think about it, Liam practically fell for her in one night; it would be the best surprise! Not to mention, this could be my chance to help House Beaumont. Bertrand would be so happy!”

Drake shook his head. “I should have known; this isn’t about Liam at all, is it? This is just about restoring your House to its ‘former glory’ or whatever. And you’re gonna be using some random girl who might end up destroyed.” He scoffed in disgust, “You people.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, that’s not true!  _Of course_  it’s about Liam. And I promise, there will be full disclosure: Riley will know what to expect and what we get out of sponsoring her. She will only come if she really wants to, you have my word.” 

“Fine, but for the record, this is a terrible idea. She won’t last 2 days.”

“Noted.” Maxwell grinned.

* * *

 

Drake waited in the cab to the airport while Maxwell asked Riley to come with them. 

_This is so stupid._

He sighed. How was some clueless girl from New York going to survive the court? Hell, Savannah hadn’t and she’d been a part of it her whole life...

This train of thought was welcomely interrupted by the arrival of Maxwell and – he groaned – Riley.

“So, you’re coming with us, huh?” he asked tonelessly.

“Looks like it!” She looked absolutely ecstatic. 

_She’s not half as nervous as she should be._

He shrugged and turned to look out the window.

* * *

 

Drake hadn’t said much on the way back to Cordonia; he figured between Maxwell and Riley they had the conversation side of things more than covered. He wasn’t wrong. Other than sleeping, they had done little else than talk about Cordonia: how beautiful it was, how wealthy, how nice the people were. 

This was definitely all true – with the exception of some people – but Drake felt a sense of urgency. Why tell her about all the good stuff, instead of warning her about the bad stuff? He’d hate for her to go into this blindly.

“Say ‘goodbye’ to New York and ‘hello’ to Cordonia!” Maxwell was almost as excited as Riley was, looking out the window impatiently.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening...”

He couldn’t keep it in any longer. She had to know. “Believe it. We’ll be landing soon, ready or not. And if you’re  _not_  ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive.”

Maxwell looked at him reproachfully. “Yeesh, don’t scare her, Drake. You okay, Riley?”

Riley turned to look directly at Drake, defiant. “Honestly... I’m not afraid of anything.”

 _Cocky._ At least she had a good attitude. “Heh. We’ll see once we land.”

“I don’t get why you’re being so grim about this...” she phrased it like a question. 

It irritated him. It’s not like he had no reason to be grim; he’d seen this happen before. 

He told her as much, “Look, no offense, but I’ve seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family.”

That last part was not strictly true, Liam had never seriously fallen for a foreigner before, but he figured his main purpose should be to dissuade her from this whole idiocy before it was too late.

Maxwell retorted with indignation, “Riley’s not some crown-chaser.”

“Drake... to be fair, YOU’RE more my type,” she smirked.

Drake thought he misheard. He ran through the sentence in his head and once he was sure she’d actually said that, decided it must have been a joke, “Hah.”

“I’m serious. I don’t usually go for rich boys, much less royalty.”

 _Is she for real? Not that it even matters._  

Still, Drake felt a ridiculous blush creep up his neck. Fortunately, at that moment, Maxwell let out an excited exclamation, so no one noticed.

“Hey, look! You can see Cordonia out the window! Riley, you won’t want to miss this!”

Riley hurried to Maxwell’s side, while Drake looked out the next window. It really was breathtaking. The crystalline ocean surrounded a mountainous island, which was all but covered in homogenous red-tiled roofs. On a tall, forested hill stood a magnificent palace.

“That’s Cordonia? It’s like something out of a fairy tale! The sparkling ocean, the swaying trees–”

“If you burst into song, I’m jumping out of the plane.” Drake quipped.

Riley chuckled, “I’m just saying it’s beautiful.”

Maxwell seemed relieved she’d liked it. “It is, isn’t it? Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

* * *

 

The journey from the royal family’s private hangar to the palace was a short one. When Riley caught the first glimpse of the imposing building, her mouth fell open.

“...the Royal Palace. Welcome to you home for the next few months, Riley.”

“This is where I’m staying? I didn’t realize I’d be living in the palace!” she was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway... Including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand.”

“Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later...” Drake smirked.

Maxwell rolled his eyes, “Drake’s just kidding... at least about the roses. Anyway, I’ll show you to your room, Riley...”

"This is my cue to take off. See you around... if you’re lucky.” He waved at her and turned his back, not waiting for her to respond.

He headed towards the grounds, where he’d be meeting Bastien for training. His mentor was already waiting for him.

“Hey, Drake, you’re a bit late.” It wasn’t a reproach, more like a question.

“Yeah, we took off 20 minutes later than we’d planned.”

“Why? You seem annoyed.”

“Maxwell insisted we bring this girl...”

“A girl? What are you talking about?”

Drake filled Bastien in on the Riley situation. To his surprise, he didn’t seem upset.

“Bastien, we don’t know this girl, we don’t know anything about her! That has to bother you!”

“Obviously I’ll run a background check, but if she’s just a regular girl, like I suspect, then what’s the harm? I think you should reflect on why  _you’re_  so bothered by her.”

“Wh– I-I’m not  _that_ bothered,” Drake spluttered, “I just... you know what it’s like here... Savannah...”

Bastien put an arm on his shoulder, “You’re jumping to conclusions. We still don’t know the circumstances under which your sister chose to leave,” he saw Drake was about to protest and he put his hand up, “however, even if a member of the court is to blame, that doesn’t mean this lady will suffer the same fate. She is not Savannah.”

Drake rubbed his face, “You’re right, I know. But still, she should know what she’s in for.”

“And I have no doubt you’ll warn her pleasantly,” Bastien teased. “Now, let’s train.”

* * *

 

After a grueling half hour of self-defense practice, Drake went to his room and showered. Once he got dressed, he finally checked his voicemail. 

He’d followed Savannah’s faint trace, through the internet, phone calls and long shots, up to a hotel in the northern coast of Spain. He’d called to inquire about her before their trip to New York. The receptionist he talked to was new and hadn’t seen her, but she offered to ask her colleague. Time to see if his search had led anywhere.

He had one new voice message and it was from the hotel. His heart soared when the other receptionist confirmed that he had seen someone fitting Savannah’s description, only to drop down to his feet when he followed this up by saying she’d left two days ago and left no contact information.

Another dead-end. Whatever had happened to her, she really didn’t want to be found.

* * *

 

“Riley Addams of New York.”

Drake looked up from his champagne at this announcement to see Riley confidently entering the room. He’d been wrong about her the first day; she was definitely above average. Tonight, wearing a bold red dress complete with a black mask and devil horns, she looked striking. To his surprise, she spotted him and walked towards him.

“So, you showed up after all.”

“Well, you’re as charming as ever,” she replied, though not unpleasantly.

“Hah. Compared to most of the nobles here, I’m your best friend.”

“Drake... I believe you.”

For some reason, this exasperated him. 

 _She doesn’t know the half of it, or she would have left. I guess it’s better than nothing._  

“That’s the first smart thing you’ve said.”

She finally looked mad at him. “Thanks.” She turned to leave.

Drake reached for her arm, “Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m just trying to help.” 

“You have a very peculiar way of helping.” 

Drake looked down at his feet, feeling self-conscious. He never knew how to handle these things. He didn’t mean to come off that harsh, but better that than whatever happened to... 

_Nope, we’re not thinking about that right now._

“I’m just saying the things that I wish someone would’ve told  _me_  a long time ago. Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I could use another glass of champagne... Good luck, Riley.”

For the first time, he meant it.


	3. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake has a miserable time at the ball, surrounded by nobles, and learns about their latest shady move.

Drake finally managed to hunt down a waiter with a tray loaded with champagne glasses, rather than just empty ones, and took two for good measure. 

As soon as he turned back around to look for familiar faces, he ran straight into Lord Neville. He mentally congratulated himself for grabbing that extra glass.

“Lord Neville,” he said curtly, with a stiff jerk of his head that barely qualified as a bow.

“Walker. Of course you’d be here, sulking while you mooch off the Prince’s generosity,” he sneered.

Drake felt his face grow hot. “Ah yes, as opposed to you,  _Lord_  Neville, who would never dream of showing up here just to suck up to more important people and bore women to death.”

Lord Neville looked as if he’d been slapped for a split second, then turned his expression into an arrogant smirk. 

“I don’t know, commoner, I think the likes of your sister would have been more than happy to be – how did you put it? – ‘bored to death’ by someone so high above her station. We all know she was nothing but a little crown chaser.”

“Shut up,” Drake replied quietly, refusing to give in to his goading.

“You know, I experienced some déjà-vu, seeing you talk to that girl from New York earlier. You do have a soft spot for crown chasers, don’t you? And so, it would seem, does our Prince.”

Drake followed Neville’s gaze towards the dance floor, where Riley and Liam were deep in conversation. 

Drake opted for a nonchalant shrug, “What Liam does is up to him.”

"Oh of course it is, of course it is,” Lord Neville’s smile widened. “Except  _I’ve_  heard that there’s a bidding war among the tabloids for certain, ah,  _scandalous_ pictures of Prince Liam’s bachelor party. They probably feature that New York girl prominently, from what I gather. If those go public, well, I’m sure you realize that it would cease to be Liam’s business?”

Drake was reeling. Was this true? It definitely was; he’d learned long ago not to be surprised by the nobles’ devious ways. But who? Despite all his talk of not trusting anyone, he had to believe he could still trust some people. He found it hard to imagine either Tariq or Maxwell doing something like this. They didn’t have it in them, did they?

He had to get to the bottom of this. He was so concentrated on his next move that he completely forgot to be nasty to Neville, giving him only a distracted, “Excuse me,” before moving him aside, abandoning his two champagne glasses, and striding to the white and gold double doors that led to the grand foyer.

Bastien was standing beside the open doors, surveying the ballroom with alert eyes.

“Bastien, I need to talk to you.”

“Not now, Drake.”

“You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Just get someone to cover you for 5 minutes.”

Bastien looked intently at him, then nodded briskly and used his earpiece to get one of his people to take his place.

“Make it quick,” he said, already walking out the doors. Drake hurried behind him. Bastien didn’t stop until they were well outside the palace and in the entrance courtyard, away from prying eyes and ears. 

“What’s going on?”

Drake related what he’d heard from Neville, “So have you heard anything about it?”

“No, this is the first I’m hearing,” replied Bastien with a grave face.

“Well, we need to find whoever is behind it. Now.”

“That’s not a priority,” Bastien countered calmly.

“Wh-what? But Liam! He can’t afford a scandal so soon after Leo abdicating, much less during the social season, why are you–”

“Drake, stop. We  _will_  find the culprit, certainly. I am merely suggesting that a better course of action at the moment might be to find the  _pictures_  before they are published. Whoever is behind this is probably a member of the court, so they won’t be going anywhere.”

Drake had been pacing rapidly while Bastien explained his reasoning. He slowed down to a stop and ran his fingers through his hair, “Right, yeah, no, we should do that first. I just hope you’re right about the son of a bitch not leaving.”

“Well, one can never be sure, of course, but it seems highly unlikely.”

"True. Okay, so we do this your way, but keep me in the loop, yeah? I’ll try to find out what I can.”

“Fine... And Drake?” Bastien waited until Drake, who had started retreating back to the palace, turned to look at him, “Do it  _subtly_ , for God’s sake.”

Drake rolled his eyes with a smile and kept walking.

 

* * *

 

 

Upon reentering the grand ballroom, Drake resolved he deserved to have a little fun. With that in mind he flagged down the nearest waiter and got another glass of champagne. He looked around for anyone friendly; his eyes fell on Maxwell, sitting alone at a table.

 _Better than nothing._  

He walked towards him.

“Hey, Maxwell. Why are you just sitting here? Thought you’d be tearing up the dance floor right about now.” He sat down next to him.

“Nah, man, it’s too formal today. There’s only so many times I can waltz.”

“Huh... well, whaddya know? I never thought I’d see it,” Drake rested his arm on Maxwell’s shoulder. “The great Maxwell, all danced out.”

“What! No, that’s not true! It’s not the same thing!” Drake had never seen Maxwell so agitated. “I’ll go dance right now, I’ll show you!” He got up and started moving purposefully – and a little aggressively – to the dance floor. Drake followed him and caught him by the collar.

“Whoa, there, buddy, I was just kidding. You look like you might hurt someone.”

He coaxed Maxwell, who was breathing hard, back to his chair and followed suit.

“Say I’m the Dance Master.”

“Hard pass.”

“Say it. SAY IT now or I will dance on this table, so help me God.”

When Drake stayed quiet for a few more seconds, Maxwell moved to get up from his chair.

“FINE, you’re the Dance Master, okay? Just stop that! Sit down.”

“Hah! I knew you’d cave,” Maxwell grinned triumphantly while doing the arm wave.

Drake tried to keep a straight face and took a sip of his champagne, but ended up snorting into it. Maxwell snickered at Drake’s champagne-splashed face, and they both fell into fits of laughter. 

Just then, Lady Kiara approached them. Their laughs gradually subsided.

“Well, don’t you look amused,  _tous les deux_?”

She looked very pretty with a fitted black dress and her dark hair loose, falling down her back. 

Drake bowed his head and said, “Hello, Lady Kiara. Please, sit down.”

“ _Bon soir_ , Drake,” she smiled back at him, flicking her hair and taking the chair next to his.

“Are you, uh, enjoying the ball?”

“Oh, of course! Though maybe not as much as you two,” she replied, playfully touching his arm.

Drake cleared his throat unnecessarily.

Maxwell jumped to his rescue, “Are you looking forward to the social season?”

“Hmph, well, I was, until this little nobody from New York arrived. The Prince has barely looked at me all night.”

_Right, she’s here for Liam._

“Well, looks like there might be an opening just now,” Drake pointed out, nodding towards Liam, who had just finished dancing with Hana.

“ _Mais oui_! You’re right, I must go there now! I’ll be seeing you, Drake.”

She got up and went directly towards Liam.

“What was  _that_?!” Maxwell exclaimed as soon as she was out of earshot.

“What was what?”

“She was clearly flirting with you and you blew her off! I thought you said you liked her?”

“Okay, first of all, I never said I  _liked_ her, I just think she’s attractive. Second, she was only flirting with me because Liam was busy.”

“So?”

“What do you mean, ‘so’?”

"She likes you anyway, man! Nothing wrong with a harmless fling!”

“I don’t see  _you_  having any harmless flings,” deflected Drake.

Maxwell looked thoughtful for a moment, “Touché. Still, that was some grade-A self-sabotage, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna call it a night,” said Drake, standing up.

“Okay,” said Maxwell, deflated, “but Drake, don’t sell yourself short. Not  _everyone’s_  favorite flavor is chocolate. Do a lot of people like chocolate? Sure. Does chocolate have many amazing qualities that make it an optimal choice? Yes. But vanilla’s great too, you know? Different, yet just as good.”

“Right.”

“... Liam’s chocolate–”

“Yeah, no, I got that.”

“–you’re vanilla–”

“Yes, I know.”

“So what I’m trying to say–”

“Maxwell!” he put a hand on his shoulder. “I get it. Thanks.”

“Oh. Okay, good. Well, see ya.”

“G’night, Maxwell.”


	4. Save the Last Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake comforts Hana, whines, and helps Liam out.

Drake left the glittering ballroom behind and emerged into the main hall, where he found a despondent Hana sitting on the bottom step of the grand staircase. He walked up to her hesitantly.

“Hey, why the long face? Did you find something you’re only very good at?” he joked.

“Ha,” she replied sadly. 

_Okay, clearly not the time._

He nodded to the spot next to her and she shrugged, so he sat down beside her.

“Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?”

She looked up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused. She sighed and he caught a faint whiff of alcohol coming off her.

“Just... Olivia was saying some stuff...” she mumbled. It didn’t seem like she was going to continue.

“Ugh, Olivia, the human equivalent of a relentless fucking mosquito. What did she do this time?” Hana looked down at her hands, looking uncomfortable, so Drake hurried on, “Look, it doesn’t matter  _what_  she said, you have to know she’s a child. She says shit like whatever she said because she’s jealous.”

“How can you know that?”

“Please. I’ve known her for years! And sure, she had a tough childhood, but she’s had every chance since then to turn things around! She refuses to take responsibility and to see how much she has going for her. So screw her, ya know?”

“That’s a little harsh,” said Hana in a small voice. Drake opened his mouth to protest and she give him a tight-lipped smile, “but it’s not what Olivia said. It’s just that she got me thinking, what if she’s _right_?”

“Of course n–” Drake interrupted. 

Hana shushed him, too loudly. “Let me just say this. All my life, the only thing my parents have cared about is making me as eligible as possible. They won’t accept me marrying into anything less than a duchy! So this... this is the one thing I’m supposed to be good at, the one place where I’m meant to succeed. But since I got here I’ve realized the competition is a lot tougher than I thought and... I almost think my parents might disown me if I fail.” She gave a sad little laugh that turned into a soft sob.

 _Oh. Oh_ no _, she’s crying!_   _I’m not equipped to handle this situation, oh my God._

“Uh... there, there...?” Drake awkwardly patted her shoulder and cleared his throat as Hana cried harder. “Listen, um, I know we don’t know each other that well, but even if you were a complete stranger, based on what I’ve heard about you alone, my bet would be on you.”

Hana stopped crying abruptly and looked up at Drake with wide eyes, tears still streaking her face. 

“Really?”

“Definitely! You know how to do basically everything, don’t you?”

“Well,” said Hana, suddenly shy, “not  _everything,_ but I suppose I do have more than a few skills. Still, that’s not all that matters, and the Prince seems to like Riley. Which is great, honestly! She’s very sweet, but...”

“I mean, obviously, I don’t know what’s gonna happen and I’m not gonna lie, they  _do_  seem to have chemistry, but if it’s not this, then you’re gonna succeed at  _something. That_ you can be sure of.”

Hana smiled genuinely for the first time, wiping her tears.

“Thanks, Drake,” she said, clumsily patting his shoulder. “I feel a lot better.”

“Cool, glad I could help.”

“You know, you’re not at all like people say... Olivia and the others are always saying you’re uncouth and rude because you’re a commoner, but I don’t think that’s true at all.”

“Yeah, okay, thanks,” Drake replied hurriedly, getting up. He was  _not_  having this conversation.

“Seriously! In fact, I believe if you just made an effort you could actually fit in, even if you are a commoner!” she continued cheerily.

_Aaand, there it is._

“Gee, thanks,  _Lady_  Hana. That’s such an honor, coming from such a distinguished noble.” He mockingly bowed his head and headed out of the palace briskly.

Behind him, he heard Lady Hana stutter, “Drake, no! That’s not what I meant, I’m sorry!”

He didn’t stop walking until he got to the maze. Once there, he looked up at the starry sky, trying to stop thinking. 

_You’ll never be one of them, why should you even try? It won’t be enough, in their eyes. It’s a nonstarter. The only reason anyone even tolerates you is Liam. And why should they? You’re nothing but a whiny, sarcastic son of a–_

“Drake? I thought you’d be in bed by now. I saw you leave a while ago.”

He turned and saw Liam had walked up behind him. He arranged his face into a careful smile.

“I just needed some air.”

“Well, lucky for me, because you’re just who I wanted to talk to.”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“It’s Riley.”

 _Of course it is._ He made a valiant effort to stop himself from rolling his eyes. It didn’t work.

“I take it you’re not her biggest fan,” said Liam, frowning disappointedly. “I hope you'll warm up to her, eventually.”

“What does it matter, anyway,” Drake asked, “ _You_  clearly like her.”

Liam tilted his head, seeming honestly confused. “You’re my best friend. I care about your opinion of people.”

Drake snorted, “I dislike most people and you like  _everyone_.”

“I am diplomatic, there’s a difference,” Liam smiled. “Still, you rarely  _actually_  dislike people without reason. I know you like Maxwell and even Tariq, to an extent, no matter how much you try to hide it.”

“Shh, I have a reputation to maintain.”

Liam shook his head. “Olivia, on the other hand, I understand.”

“Psh,” interjected Drake, skeptical.

“It’s true. Being fond of her doesn’t mean I’m blind to the fact that she can be cruel, at times.”

“ _At times_ ,” Drake muttered.

“Anyway, why do you dislike Riley?”

“I don’t, man. I just think she’s not cut out for this, she’s too naive.”

“I think you’d be surprised. She is... what’s the expression? Street intelligent?”

Drake let out a chuckle, “You mean street smart. Anyway, I don’t distrust her, if that’s your question... But what did you want to talk about?”

Unexpectedly, Liam blushed. “Oh, that. It’s-it’s nothing.”

"Come on, Liam, it’s not nothing. It’s obviously got your royal ass worried.”

“My royal... bottom is completely fine, thank you,” Liam replied indignantly, “but the rest of me  _is_  worried, yes. I... I really like this girl, Drake. I feel a connection to her that I had never felt before. But I’m not sure she feels the same way.”

Drake burst out laughing. Liam’s mouth actually fell open in disbelief. When Drake’s laughter only got louder instead of stopping, the prince fixed him with a stony glare. Drake regained some control of himself.

“I’m s-sorry,” he said, still giggling, “I just can’t believe you said that.” He finally became serious again. “Liam,  _all_ straight girls are at least 30% attracted to you, and that’s when they don’t know you basically own a country.”

“Very funny, but I’m serious. For a moment, it seemed like she might come with me to the maze, but in the end, she said she didn’t want to get me in trouble... I just can’t tell if she was being considerate or if she was politely rejecting me.”

“I’m sure she was being considerate, man. Even if she wasn’t, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make up your mind! If you ask her out a few more times and she always says no, you’ll have your answer.”

“I guess you’re right,” replied Liam doubtfully.

“No duh. You’ll see, this time next week, she’ll be asking  _you_ for some alone time. Wink wink.”

“You could have winked, you know? I can see you.”

“It’s dark, man, I didn’t want you to miss it.”

“Your meaning was about as subtle as Maxwell at a party.”

Drake punched Liam playfully on the arm. “Shut up. I’m never cheering you up again.”

Liam laughed. “Speaking of which, I wanted to thank you.”

“What for?”

“’What for?’ Everything! Looking out for me, listening to my love life troubles. It doesn’t escape me that you essentially put your life on hold for me, Drake. That is something I can never repay.”

Drake waved dismissively. “Stop being so dramatic. I  _have_  a life here.”

“Yes, well, I still wish it were a happier one.”

Drake’s reply got stuck in his throat. He knew anything he said would either be depressing or insincere, so he chose to simply nod instead. 

After a loaded pause, Drake cleared his throat and broke the tension. “Well, I’m gonna head to bed, but if there’s anything I can do...”

“Actually, I hate to ask this of you – you already do so much, but... do you think you could keep an eye on Riley tomorrow?”

“What happened to being street intelligent?”

“Ha ha, funny. She  _is_  smart; she is also the most unfamiliar with how the social season works. I understand if you’d rather not, however, and I can always ask one of Bastien’s men...” Liam trailed off hopefully.

“Nah, I’ll do it, man, it’s fine.”

“Thank you so much, Drake. I’ll feel so much better knowing–”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the best, I should be knighted, etcetera, etcetera. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

_On babysitting duty._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, I love Hana and have nothing against her, I just think that due to her upbringing, she can probably come across as elitist sometimes without meaning to.


	5. Off to the Races

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake saves Riley from a horse and then spends the Derby as a third wheel.

Usually, the Derby was one of the few royal events that Drake looked forward to. Not only did he get to do some friendly gambling with Liam and even – occasionally – Bastien, but thanks to Liam’s private tent, he didn’t really have to deal with stuck-up nobles all day!

This year, however... 

_I can’t believe I gotta spend the whole day looking after Riley. Everything would be so much easier if she’d just stayed where she belongs._

He sighed heavily. 

_Come on, Liam asked you as a favor. Plus, you just have to make sure she gets to the tent and then she’ll be somebody else’s problem... probably Hana’s._

“Drake? You ready to go?” Bastien interrupted his train of thought, poking his head into his room.

“I guess.”

“What are you upset about now? I thought you enjoyed the Derby? I might even let you talk me into a bet again.” Bastien smiled.

“Liam asked me to watch Riley.”

Bastien’s eyebrows furrowed. “Does he think she’s in danger?”

“Nah, you know Liam, he’s just worried.”

“Well, this will at least present an opportunity for you to work on your stealth.”

"I mean, I’m practically a ninja already, but sure.”

Bastien let out a laugh that he hastily turned into a cough in response.

“Shut up, let’s go.”

They filed out of the palace and caught up with Liam, who was already waiting inside the limousine that would be taking them to the race track.

“Hey, Drake,” he said with a grin. “Nice day to lose a bet, don’t you think?”

“Ha! Of course, you’d be the expert, I wouldn’t know.”

“We’ll see. As they say, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’“

“Well, after 3 consecutive years of losing, it should be nice and frozen.”

Liam pushed him with his shoulder as the driver started the limo.

“So I thought about what you said yesterday...”

When Drake gave him a puzzled look, Liam clarified, “About Riley. And you’re right, I’m rushing into things. I believe I should give her some breathing room before I invite her out again, see if she seeks  _me_  out.”

“Solid plan.”

“Thanks. And thanks again for looking out for her today.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m sure she will be fine, but, well, you know me,” Liam bowed his head, a little embarrassed, “always worrying.”

“She’s arriving with Bertrand and Maxwell, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then maybe you’re not being  _that_  paranoid. There are just so many ways Maxwell can screw this up...”

* * *

 

“Lone Wolf to Dignified Eagle, Lone Wolf to Dignified Eagle, I’ve got eyes on Helpless Baby Deer. I repeat I–”

“I’ll take it away, Drake.”

“No! I’ll stop! I see Riley, is all I’m saying.”

“Fine. Don’t use this except for emergencies. Over and out.”

Drake laughed quietly to himself. He’d been having a little too much fun with the tiny bluetooth earbud Bastien had lent him for his task. 

_If I’m gonna be on this stupid “mission” all day, the least they can do is let me be childish about it._

His eyes  _were_  on Riley, who was talking expertly to the press, or at least it looked that way from where he was standing a few feet away. So far, the whole thing had been uneventful to the point of tediousness. Riley was not very observant, so he didn’t even have to work on his “stealth”, as Bastien had put it.

A blur of bright blue caught his eye and he saw Lady Kiara making her grand entrance. She looked  _really_  good. 

_This haute-couture crap isn’t my thing, but damn if that dress doesn’t cling to all the right places..._

Lady Kiara talked to the press for a brief moment, then turned to follow the other ladies to their tent and spotted him.

“Drake!” she said with a wide smile. “It’s  _very_  nice to see you.” Her eyes swept over his body and he smirked without meaning to.

“You too, Lady Kiara. You look great!”

“Oh, this old thing?” she replied, twirling her hair. “You look  _très beau aussi._ ”

They were somehow standing closer together than they had been a few seconds ago.

Lady Kiara suddenly tilted her head in confusion, “ _Mais_ , what are you doing here? I thought you’d be in the Prince’s tent by now?”

“Oh, I’m here because–” 

_Oh crap._

“I’m sorry, Lady Kiara, I have to go. See you around!”

He strode away from her before she could reply, looking frantically through the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Riley’s bright pink dress. 

_Damn hats, I can’t see anything._

When he was reasonably certain he’d looked everywhere she was likely to be, he started getting worried. 

 _Nice going, jackass. You had_ one _job, and you screwed it up just ‘cause of some pretty girl. Liam’s gonna kill me. He might even give me his disappointed look._  

He shuddered; those were devastating.

 _Okay, think,_ think. _Imagine Maxwell gave you directions. You’d definitely be lost. So I guess I’d go this way..._

He walked past the tents, the crowd thinned and their noise faded. He was coming up to the stables. 

 _It’s no use, why would she be here?_  

He turned back when–

“Ahhhh!”

He ran into the stables without hesitation, only to find a chestnut horse running straight at Riley. He determinedly stepped between them.

“Whoa there. Whoa.” He put his hands up, making downward motions and then stroking the horse’s muzzle. It calmed down and leaned into his caresses.

“Nothin’ to worry about, big fella. I’ll get this girl outta here for you.” He gently led the horse back into its stall and secured the door carefully, making absolutely sure it couldn’t get back out. Then he finally turned towards the girl in question, who looked startled, leaning against the opposite wall.

“You okay, Riley?”

It took her a few seconds to find her voice. “Drake?! You saved me!” she gushed gratefully, taking a few steps towards him.

_Is she gonna hug me? Please no._

“Really? I thought I was saving the horse... these Derby runners are like athletes. Can’t risk and injury tripping over a stray human,” he smirked at her.

She raised her eyebrows at him, the universal gesture for “not amused”. “Oh, charming. Did the horse knock the sense out of you?”

Drake chuckled and brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder. “Nah... In fact, I got away without a scratch.”

“What are you even doing here?” she crossed her arms and went back to leaning on the wall. Drake felt a flash of relief that hugging seemed to be off the table now and then a twinge of guilt. It  _had_  been his job to keep an eye on her, after all. 

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but be a little amused at her annoyance. He didn’t know what it was about her – maybe that little furrow between her eyebrows when she frowned at him – but something made him want to keep teasing her. 

On the other hand, the more he did that, the longer this whole conversation would be, and he didn’t want to miss the race. He ran his fingers through his hair, deciding to go with the truth. 

“Look... I... The truth is, Liam told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t end up in the wrong place... exactly like now,” he explained ruefully.

“He told you that?” she seemed taken aback. 

Seeing her expression, Drake realized how this could come across as weird or condescending, if you didn’t know Liam as well as he did. He thought about trying to explain, but figured Liam could do that himself. It was his idiotic idea anyway.

“Yeah, good thing I followed his instructions, huh? Speaking of which, you should get back to the racetrack and your adoring fans...”

She ignored his jab. 

 _How does she always take the high road?_  

“I’d love to, but I’m lost. Maxwell told me to look for the pink tents?”

 _I knew it._  

“He’s wrong. You’re looking for the  _white_  tents next to the starting line... Can’t miss them. Good luck!” He turned his back, ready to finally go enjoy his day.

“You’re not coming with me?”

The question took him by surprise.  _Does she..._ want  _me to come with her? Why?_

“No...” he replied cautiously, “I’m due to meet Liam. He has his own private tent. We usually just hang out there and get some drinks, watch the ceremonies, place our bets on the horses... It’s pretty sweet.” He grinned.

Riley got a determined look on her face. 

 _Uh oh._  

“In that case... I’m going with you.”

“What?” he asked, already planning to say no.

She shrugged, “It sounds more fun where you’re going. Take me with you.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to...” he started, but even as he said it, he realized he didn’t care. Honestly, it would be nice to have somebody other than him breaking rules and protocols for a change.

“What are they going to do? Put me in Princess Jail?”

He smiled and shook his head. That was actually a good point and one he constantly thought himself. Not Princess Jail, obviously, just Commoner Jail for him, but still.

He led her out of the stables and toward Liam’s ostentatious purple and gold tent. Drake held the flap open for her to pass. She looked back at him.

“Here. You go ahead. I’m going to grab some beers for us.”

She smiled and nodded. He watched her go into the tent and caught himself thinking that  _her_  dress wasn’t half bad either. He shook his head as if to get rid of the thought and went up to the beer stand. He ordered three beers and returned to the tent with them.

Liam and Riley seemed to be talking normally; he’d half expected to walk in on them making out or something. Situations involving Liam and girls tended to escalate quickly, usually not because of Liam. He still wanted to make sure they didn’t mind him being the third wheel.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Riley turned in her seat and grinned at him. “Drake, of course not. We’re happy to see you.”

A “why?” almost slipped out – he hadn’t exactly been the most polite to her – but that would’ve sounded too sad, so he changed it at the last second to, “You are?”

“Yeah, come join us.” Riley patted the seat next to her left, while Liam sat to her right.

“And you’re just in time. The last race is about to start! I say Twilight-Dash takes the crown.” Liam said confidently.

“That’s not a bad prediction,” Drake replied idly, “but I’ve been studying the stats. My money’s on Marabelle’s Dream.”

“Want to bet on that, Drake?” Liam arched an eyebrow.

“Sure. The usual?”

“What’s the usual?” asked Riley curiously.

“Ever since Drake and I were kids, we’d bet each other push-ups.”

“Not just any push-ups,” Drake interjected.

“Push-ups while the other person sits on your back.”

Riley snorted, “That’s... ridiculous.”

“Not my most dignified moment, true,” Liam conceded. “But it’s always fun. So do we have a bet?” he offered his hand to Drake.

“You’re on.” They shook hands.

“Except perhaps one change to the usual. I think we’d be incredibly rude to leave out Riley...” To be completely honest, Drake had all but forgotten she was there because this felt so much like old times. He still nodded, however; she was kind of starting to grow on him. “Maybe she should be the one to sit on the loser’s back...”

“Sit on your back while one of you does push-ups? I’m happy to help,” Riley smiled at them both, and it might have been Drake’s imagination but it looked somewhat predatory to him.

Liam clapped his hands, “There we have it, then.”

Loud trumpets announced the start of the race and the three of them turned to look at the track. The horses started galloping swiftly, almost in unison. For the first few seconds, that is; soon some started falling behind, while others gained on them. All three of them were leaning forward, absorbed. Liam, especially, was rapt.

“Twilight-Dash takes the lead.” The beautiful white horse had indeed managed to gain a shaky advantage; he was being closely tailed by Marabelle’s Dream and two other horses – chestnut and gray, respectively.

“Race isn’t over yet. Go, Marabelle!” Drake urged the horse with everything he had.

The horses reached the point that was furthest from their tent, making it hard to distinguish much. They could, however, see a white horse still in the lead.

“They’re rounding the third bend...” Liam said quietly, almost to himself. A nervous habit he’d always had during the races.

“Come one, Marabelle. You’re gaining...” She’d left the chestnut horse behind; now she only had to gain on one last horse and she’d catch up to Twilight-Dash. 

“Catch them in the final furlong.” Drake’s hands were balled into tight fists.

“They’re neck-and-neck!” shouted Riley excitedly. Marabelle’s Dream had finally caught up to Twilight-Dash and they galloped together, their jokeys’ legs almost touching. They were coming around the bend and getting closer to where they sat. 

“Come on...” Liam pushed.

At the very last moment, a mere foot from the finish line, Marabelle’s Dream’s jockey gave her one final push, and they broke the finish line seconds before Twilight-Dash crossed it. 

“And there goes Marabelle! Ha! I knew it!” He pumped his arms triumphantly and gave Liam a gloating smile.

“Liam, I believe you’re up.”

“Well, here we go...” he said grudgingly.

Drake crossed his arms and fixed him with a stern look. “If you think I’m going to bow gracefully and let you out of the bet, you’re dead wrong.”

“Oh, I know. That’s one of my favorite things about you, Drake. You never let me get away with anything.” 

_Leave it to Liam to turn a joke into a sweet moment._

Drake rolled his eyes. 

“Now, I can’t get these clothes all sweaty...” Liam stood up and took his shirt off in one fluid movement. 

_Show off._

“Oh!” the exclamation escaped Riley involuntarily. Drake saw her eyes widen at Liam’s toned torso. Per usual.

“Riley, I believe I need your assistance here?” Liam gave her a charming smile.

Riley just about jumped from her seat. “I’m on it!”

Liam crouched into push-up position and Riley sat on his bare back gingerly, looking apprehensive.

“Is that all? I barely feel anything.” It could have sounded cocky, but coming from Liam, it merely sounded as a reassurance for Riley.

“Maybe I should get on there too...” Drake joked. There was no way Liam could do it with both of them sitting on him and even  _he_  was above embarrassing his friend in front of his schoolboy crush.

“One... two... three...” Liam was trying very hard to seem nonchalant as Riley went up and down, but push-ups are hard under the best of circumstances, let alone with a girl sitting on you.

“Pff. Too easy.” 

_You can do this._

“And... Ten! Done.” Liam was wearing a self-satisfied smile when Riley got off his back. Drake handed him his shirt.

“Never let it be said that I’ve ever backed out of a bet,” said Liam as he buttoned his shirt back up.

Drake clapped him on the shoulder. “And you lose all the time so that’s really saying something.”

“I must’ve done something very wrong at some point for you to be my best friend,” Liam replied with a smile.

“I think it’s part of my job to keep you humble. Hard to do with all these gorgeous women chasing after you,” he gestured towards Riley and his easy smile froze as she raised her eyebrows. 

_Shit, I guess I just called her gorgeous._

He felt himself start to blush. 

_Don’t be ridiculous. So you called her gorgeous, big deal, it’s not like she’s not attractive._

He felt like the pause had grown awkward, but Liam seemed oblivious. He was smiling fondly at Riley, no doubt agreeing with Drake’s assessment. 

“Speaking of which... now that the races are over, it’s probably time to get back to the social barrage,” he said regretfully. “Next up is the lawn picnic...”

“I guess that means I should get back to where the girls are... Bertrand and Maxwell are probably looking for me,” Riley piped up.

Drake sighed heavily. 

_Back to reality. Who would’ve thought that babysitting Riley could actually be fun?_

“I’ll go see where they are,” he volunteered, as much to mentally prepare for the stupid picnic as to give Liam a last few moments with Riley. He exited the tent and walked towards the smaller, white tents meant for lesser nobles. He quickly came across Maxwell and Bertrand, who were indeed looking for Riley.

“Drake!” exclaimed Maxwell with a smile. “Have you seen–”

“Yep, she’s in the royal tent. I’ll take her to the ladies, don’t worry.”

“Did you say she was in the–? SCORE!” Maxwell grinned.

“While I normally disapprove of rule-breaking,” said Bertrand in his dry, formal voice, “I believe, in this instance, it may be to our advantage.”

 _Always thinking of themselves._  

Drake gave them a curt nod as they hastened to their limo. He walked back to the tent and, not wanting to scar himself, cleared his throat for good measure before going in.

“Ahem! I just saw Maxwell run out to bring the car around. The ladies are a few tents down, and they’re headed to the lawn picnic. I can show Riley over there.”

“If you must,” said Riley reluctantly. Drake didn’t blame her; he liked Hana and Penelope well enough, and Lord knows he didn’t mind spending time with Lady Kiara, but if the price was Olivia Nevrakis, they could count  _him_  out, always. The only person he could stomach her for was Liam, and even then he’d spend half the time daydreaming of her head exploding or something.

“Goodbye, Riley. Until we meet again,” Liam kissed her hand.

“Until then,” replied Riley with a small smile.

They walked towards the tents together in a surprisingly easy silence. 

Right before they reached the correct tent, Riley spoke up, “Hey, Drake? Thanks for letting me break the rules.”

“It was nothing. I’m not exactly the rule-following type anyway.”

“So I’ve gathered. It was fun, hanging out with you and Liam. I can see why you guys are friends.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. Firstly because she’d said “hanging out” and  “you and Liam” like they were all friends. Drake was not exactly there with her, but he had to admit he’d enjoyed himself as much as he usually did with only Liam. 

Secondly, most people were puzzled by their friendship; they couldn’t understand why the polite, charming prince spent so much time with the brusque, tactless commoner. He was perplexed that she seemed to think that Drake gave as much as he got.

He made a noncommittal noise in his throat, thankful that they arrived at the tent shortly after.

He heard an obnoxious voice say, “I can’t believe we didn’t get to see the Prince at all...” He felt a smile spread across his face. He couldn’t pretend not to relish in Olivia’s disappointment.

“He’s sure to be at the lawn party, though...” said Penelope hopefully.

He turned to Riley and noticed with amusement that she was wearing the same satisfied smirk he was. “I guess I leave you here. Good luck.”

Riley’s smirk faded, only to be replaced with a nervous smile. “Sometimes I feel like I’d rather face a rampaging horse than deal with the others...”

Drake snorted. “I don’t know... You didn’t fare so well in front of the horse...”

“Ha,” she chuckled. “I guess that’s true.” She paused for a moment, as if gathering her courage. “Hey, Drake. Thanks for saving me.” 

He’d never heard her sound so earnest. It made him uncomfortable so he played it off with a joke.

“I know I can be a jerk, but I’d have to be a real low-life to let a horse trample a girl.”

_You could have just said, “You’re welcome”, you dick._

Riley’s face fell a little and he mentally kicked himself for his immaturity. "Well. Thanks anyway.”


	6. Queen of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes out for cronuts!

Drake walked back into the tent and took the seat Riley had been occupying next to Liam.

“Did you leave Riley with the other ladies, then?” asked Liam.

“Uh huh,” replied Drake absentmindedly.

“Hmm,” Liam scratched his chin pensively and turned to look at him.

“’Hmm’ what?”

“Oh, nothing. It’s only that if I didn’t know any better, I would think you actually had fun with Riley just now,” Liam said with a teasing smile.

“She’s okay, I guess.” When Liam kept smiling at him Drake huffed and continued, “Fine, yeah, she’s fun, you don’t have to be a dick about it.”

Liam chuckled. “I’m not trying to rub it in, I am honestly just relieved that your opinion of her is improving, even if only slightly.”

“Well, she’s definitely tougher than I thought. And she’s determined. She basically decided on the spot that she was coming to our tent, even when I explained she wasn’t supposed to.”

“Ha, a girl after your own heart, eh?”

“... I can’t say I  _love_  rules, no,” Drake grudgingly admitted. “But anyway, you see? This proves what I was saying yesterday;  _she_  came looking for  _you_.”

“Yes,” said Liam with a hopeful smile, “I noticed that. I’m trying not to read too much into it... There’s a myriad other reasons she could have chosen to come here: maybe she simply didn’t want to be with the other ladies, or she just wanted a better view... she could have just wanted to spend time with you and me as friends!”

“Okay, first of all, she and I? We’re not friends, so don’t drag  _me_  into this. Second of all, stop overthinking this, man! She  _likes_  you. Oh, and you haven’t thanked me, by the way.”

“Thanked you? Right, of course, thank you for looking after–”

“No! Not that! You’ve thanked me for that at least 8 times since yesterday and if you do it again that is the last favor you’re getting from me.”

Liam put his hands up in a pacifying gesture. “Okay, okay. What for, then?”

“For once again beating your ass on a bet.”

Liam scoffed. “You are a terrible winner, you know that?”

“Hey! If it hadn’t been for me winning,  _again_ , you wouldn’t have had a chance to show off in front of her.”

“I–I guess you’re right.”

“No shit.”

“Do you really think–?”

“Liam, I think I saw her drool a little,” he joked. “Now can we stop talking about your royal abs and go to the stupid picnic? I’m starving.”

Liam’s smile seemed wider than ever. “Don’t forget croquet first!”

Drake shook his head sadly, “The things I do for you people...”

* * *

 

Liam went on ahead of him, which was just as well, he couldn’t care less about croquet.

_How are people fans of that sport? If you can even call it that. I wouldn’t._

Drake took a separate car with some of Bastien’s men; he knew most of them well and would rather talk and gossip with them than watch a “game” of croquet any damn day.

It was a short car ride from the race tracks to the spacious lawn that the picnic was being held in. There was a huge white, gold-trimmed tent covering a large area of the grassy field. Under it, a few dozen tables covered with white tablecloths were set with golden cutlery and delicate china tea cups.

He gave it a quick look. He supposed it was a pretty setup, if you were into that kind of fancy stuff. He wasn’t. His gaze slid from the tables to the croquet field, where the Queen and Madeleine were playing against Liam and Riley. 

He didn’t know any of the more intricate rules of the game, but he knew enough to understand the basic concept of it. Right now, according to the scoreboard being updated by Lady Hana, the teams were tied.

It was Riley’s turn. For a split second, she seemed hesitant and her eyes flicked almost imperceptibly to the Queen, which disconcerted him. He understood she was trying to decide whether to let the Queen win at the same time as she tapped the ball perfectly.

 _I guess I can’t say she doesn’t have balls– er, guts. I_ can  _say she doesn’t have that other thing._

Mercifully, with the croquet match over and done with, a member of the staff announced that the tea was ready to be served. He immediately sat down at the table he’d been assigned upon arriving. Maxwell, who had been watching the game much more closely and eagerly than him, sat down next to him.

“What’s up, man?”

“Hey,” he replied unenthusiastically.

“What’s got your socks in a bunch?”

“The expression is panties, Maxwell.”

“I know, but I hate that word,” he scrunched up his nose. “Anyway, what’s wrong?”

“I’m hungry.”

Just then, Riley, Hana and Liam sat down in the remaining seats.

“More like hangry, amiright?” said Maxwell, elbowing Riley, who was sitting to his other side.

She stroked her chin exaggeratedly, “Hmm, I don’t know, Maxwell. It seems to me like  _all_ of Drake’s moods combine with angry... we’d have to come up with a word for being grumpy all the time.”

She smirked at Drake and he opened his mouth to respond – although, he wasn’t sure what, as they had a fair point – when the waiter set down a tower of delicate little sandwiches at the center of the table. Meanwhile, a different waiter went around serving them all piping hot tea.

Maxwell turned to Drake excitedly, “Hey! We finally get to eat!”

“If you can call this eating,” he grumbled.

Riley jumped in, “Drake, you WOULD complain about free gourmet food.” She smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m just saying I’m simple...” Drake shrugged.

“I don’t think anyone would argue with that,” she held his glare for a moment and then broke down and giggled. Drake shook his head at her and smiled a little.

“What I mean is... Give me a ninety-nine cent burger any day over some escargot aioli.”

Riley nodded earnestly in agreement and his smile grew a little bigger. 

“Escargot aioli?” asked Hana confusedly. “But how would you...?”

Still bitter from yesterday, Drake wasn’t about to explain any further than, “It was just a joke, Hana.”

“Oh,” she replied a bit sadly. Drake would’ve felt worse if it hadn’t been the notion of escargot aioli that puzzled her.

_Ridiculous._

There was a tense silence. Drake, despite his complaints reached for three tiny cucumber sandwiches at once. He’d eaten half of the first in one bite before he turned to look at the others, who had all grabbed one at a time. 

_This is barely one whole sandwich though!_

He wolfed down the other two and a half sandwiches before anyone noticed. 

Maxwell, blessedly obliviously as always, broke the silence easily.

“Anyway, onto the big question!” he drummed his fingers on the table. “Riley, do you think you impressed the Queen?”

“Well...” She hung her head and then looked up with a huge smug smile, “I think I impressed her.”

_What a dork._

He smiled.

Maxwell quickly swallowed the bite he’d been chewing and actually clapped for her. “Fantastic. It’s like watching a bird learn to fly on its own.”

 _Ugh, he’s such an opportunist._  

He wasn’t even going to get started on Bertrand; at least Maxwell seem to genuinely care about Riley, in addition to using her.

Riley turned to Liam eagerly, “Do you think the Queen approves of me?”

“Yes, I think you performed quite gracefully in front of her,” he replied, beaming with pride.

Drake, not wanting to see his best friend being all sappy, reached for another sandwich, only to find them all gone. His stomach growled.

“Enough about Riley. All the little sandwiches are gone, and I’m still starving.”

“Not to worry,” Maxwell reassured him, “there’s more food waiting for us back at the palace.”

“I could really go for a cronut right now,” said Riley dreamily.

Liam’s head tilted. “A what?”

“I think you mean donut, Riley,” offered Hana helpfully, touching Riley’s hand.

Riley chuckled and shook her head at Hana. “You haven’t heard of cronuts before?”

“Can’t say that I have.” Maxwell shrugged.

Drake hadn’t thought of cronuts in  _years_. They reminded him of summers spent in America with his family. His whole family. They’d walk together to the nearest bakery after lunch and get deliciously warm pastries. They’d make a game out of it. Drake had to get something for Savannah, Savannah had to get something for his mom, his mom for his dad, and his dad for Drake. Whoever guessed the closest to what the other was craving won. Drake was surprisingly good at this game. 

He smiled to himself, lost in fond memories and only distantly heard Riley say, “Really? Okay, guys, we have a critical problem to fix. None of you have had cronuts.”

“Please tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with crows,” said Maxwell with a shiver.

“It’s the sumptuous inside of a croissant mixed with the glazed outside of a donut,” she explained. “It’s one of the best pastries ever invented.”

“It sounds...  _American,_ ” Maxwell smiled excitedly; he thought America was the epitome of coolness. Drake could definitely see Maxwell fitting in well there.

“From New York with love!” Riley said in a sing-song voice. “We have to get some!”

“While that sound like quite an adventure... I don’t think the schedule will allow for it.”

_Liam, always the responsible one._

He shot Liam a look; over the years they’d gotten quite good at communicating non-verbally through endless boring functions. This particular look conveyed,  _“What are you doing? When the girl you like asks you out, you go!”_ Liam frowned nervously.

“Then how about a little jail break tonight?,” she replied mischievously. “Think we can sneak out of the palace and go on a cronut run? I’m pretty sure I saw them in a window at a nearby bakery while we were driving here...”

There was indeed a bakery on the boardwalk that specialized in American pastries. Drake had discovered it on a walk one day and had pointedly avoided it ever since.

“That  _does_ sound like fun...” started Hana.

“Very tempting.” Liam agreed with his charming smile. “Are you sure you want to do this, Riley?”

“Guys, meet me out front once it gets dark! It’s time to have an adventure!” Riley waggled her eyebrows at them.

“I’m with Riley.” 

Drake gave Liam an of-course-you-are look. Liam shrugged and smiled wider.

“Me too!” 

Drake was certain that Maxwell would be in no matter what. They could be going to a dumpster for all he cared.

Drake, however, wasn’t sure. On the one hand, it would definitely be fun to get away from it all with his... friends and taste his first cronut in years. On the other hand, he might not be ready to revisit those memories so vividly...

He looked up from this contemplation to see Riley looking at him expectantly. 

 _It’s like she actually cares if I come..._  

“Finally, we’ll have some fun away from the palace,” he grinned in anticipation.

“New food sounds like a treat,” said Hana in that formal way of hers.

Riley pumped her fist, a bit of an overreaction, in Drake’s opinion. It made him smile nonetheless. “It’s on then!”

* * *

 

They went their separate ways – he and Liam, Maxwell and Riley, and Hana on her own – from there to the palace and into their respective rooms to get ready for their covert excursion. Drake used most of the time to take a nap. He was planning on wearing the same outfit he already had on; it was just cronuts, anyway.

Once it was time to go, though, he made the last-minute decision to put on cologne. He wasn’t usually a cologne type of guy, but what the hell, he hadn’t done anything fun like this in a while and he figured it was as good a time as any.

He walked out to the dark courtyard to find Maxwell already waiting there.

“Hey, Drake!” He was practically bouncing with excitement. For once, Drake was with him on something.

“Hi!”

“Wait, why do you look so happy to see me? Are you sick?” Maxwell gasped, “Was it the sandwiches? Am I going to act weird too?”

Drake shushed him, “You’ll wake the whole palace up! Can’t a guy be excited for food?”

“I guess...” said Maxwell suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

At that moment, Riley and Hana walked out of the palace. Riley, too, had some pep in her step. She hadn’t taken long to get ready but she still looked radiant in a simple black shirt and jeans.

“Hey, guys! Ready for a gastronomic experience?” she asked with a sunny smile.

Hana nodded vigorously. “I can’t wait to learn more about classic American pastries! You are always so inventive,” she said to Riley admiringly.

“Oh, you don’t even know! It’s the best of both worlds, Hana!” 

“Careful now, you wouldn’t want to oversell it, Addams.” Drake teased.

She opened her mouth indignantly, “First of all, how dare you. There is no possible way to oversell cronuts, Drake!”

Drake put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine, I guess we’ll see.”

“You wanna bet?”

“Loser pays for the other’s cronut?”

“You’re on.” Riley thrust her hand forward and Drake shook it. It was much smaller than he was used to – most of his bets taking place with Liam or Bastien – and warmer, too.

Maxwell looked at his phone. “Prince Liam is taking a while.”

Drake’s heart fell. What if they couldn’t go after all? “He’s the prince. We’ll be lucky if he can sneak out at all.”

Almost as soon as he said it, Hana pointed towards the palace, “There he is!”

Riley waved him over. “You made it!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had to sneak out my own bedroom window... I nearly fell into the rose bushes,” he admitted, “but I stand before you unscathed.”

“And now the real adventure begins!” As their de facto leader, Riley skipped on ahead of them, not turning back to see if they were following her. Liam hurried to catch up with her, while Maxwell raced ahead, even thought he had no idea where they were going. That left Drake trudging along next to Hana. He cleared his throat.

“Listen–”

“Drake, I– Oh, sorry, go ahead.”

“No, no, please, Lady Hana, you go.”

“Thank you. I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night.”

“That’s fine, we all have a little too much to drink sometimes.”

“No that’s–that’s not what I meant,” she replied, blushing. “Although I suppose I should apologize for that too... What I meant was for that comment I made. It was tactless and, even worse than that, cruel. I realized how badly it must have hurt you, especially after you were so kind to me, and I couldn’t sleep! I just kept thinking how you–”

“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there, because I can see you’re just gonna go into a neverending apology spiral, and neither of us wants that, right?” Hana nodded slowly. “So, yeah, your comment kinda sucked but it didn’t ‘hurt my feelings’ or whatever, okay? I’m way too used to that type of thing by now.”

At this, to Drake’s consternation, Hana looked to be on the verge of tears. He backtracked: “I just mean, apology accepted, okay? I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I  _really_  didn’t, Drake,” she replied earnestly. “As soon as I said it I wanted to take it back; it’s exactly the kind of thing my parents would say and... I don’t think I want to become like them.”

“Well, I think knowing that is at least a start,” he gave her a smile, eager to move on to less serious topics or, better yet, silence.

“I hope you’re right...”

With that, Hana seemed to intuit Drake’s preference and they lapsed into a companionable silence, taking in Cordonia by night. They walked down the narrow cobblestone streets downtown, apparently deserted at this late hour. 

After a few more minutes, the houses started becoming more and more spaced out and the streets became wider and more modern. They eventually emerged to the boardwalk, which was lined on one side by the peacefully vacant beach, on the other by cheerfully lit stores hoping to attract late-night customers.

“I’d never seen Cordonia at night,” Hana almost whispered reverently.

“Yeah, pretty, huh?”

“It’s wonderful!”

They came to a stop outside the bakery Riley had mentioned. It was tiny and cozy; inviting scents wafted through the small crack between the door and wall and yummy-looking pastries enticed them from the window display.

Maxwell then voiced what they were all thinking, “Is it me, or is it more fun to be out at night when you’re also breaking the rules?”

Well, maybe not all of them. Hana, ever the stickler, differed, “It’s more fun when you know you’re headed to something delicious!”

“After a day spent answering to the press and the Queen, this is the sweetest freedom,” said Liam with a sigh of relief.

“And it’s about to get sweeter,” Riley assured him, opening the door to the bakery.

A small bell jingled when the door opened and a gangly teenager looked up from the counter.

“Good eve–”

“We need all of your finest cronuts, please!” Maxwell requested in a voice much louder than necessary.

Lady Hana covered her mouth and stifled a giggle. “I think you’re supposed to go to the counter, not just shout from the doorway.”

“Like normal people,” Drake agreed, rolling his eyes with Hana.

Riley stopped Maxwell, who was walking up to the counter. Drake mentally applauded her initiative; who knows what Maxwell was going to say to that poor kid? “I’ll handle this. You guys take a seat.”

Drake, Maxwell, Liam and Hana sat down at a round, black iron table on small, matching chairs.

“These are kinda cramped, huh?” said Drake.

“Drake, you’d find a way to complain about anything,” Maxwell dismissed him. At that moment, Riley approached the table carrying a tray with five cronuts on it; Maxwell attempted to jump out of his seat to help her, instead knocking his knee against the table.

Drake smirked at him while Liam and Hana laughed.

“Fine, they’re  _a little_  cramped.”

“Careful, buddy!” said Riley, sitting down on Drake’s other side and setting the tray on the table. They all promptly reached for their cronuts and Drake felt Riley’s leg bump his in the process. 

Never one to miss a chance to tease, he said, “Watch it, Addams. You’re on my side.”

Riley put on a puzzled expression and replied, “Sorry, did I miss the part where you own this bakery?”

She made it sound remarkably sincere but there was obvious undertone of sarcasm to it that made Drake chuckle. He turned to look at her with real curiosity for the first time since he’d known her.

“You don’t let anything go, do you?”

“Nope,” she replied with a huge, dorky smile.

 _Damn, she really_ is _cute._

“You’re going to be trouble,” He raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned in return. “I can tell.”

“Well, these look delicious.”

Drake was so startled to hear Liam’s voice he almost jumped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Riley start too, as if she’d forgotten where – and whom – they were with. Drake shook himself. Had he really just thought of his best friend’s fiancée-to-be as cute? 

_Okay, this stops now._

He focused on the cronuts. "What’s more important is how they taste. Let me at ‘em.”

"All together?” suggested Riley.

Liam nodded and started the countdown, “One...”

“Two...” Hana continued.

Drake grabbed his, ready to take a bite. “Th–”

“Delicious!”

“Maxwell!” Drake glared at Maxwell, whose cheeks were chipmunk-like with the huge bite he’d taken.

“I regret nothing.” said Maxwell through his cronut. “Mmmmmmm... Flaky, crusty, glazed cloud of flavor...”

With such a glowing recommendation, they all bit into theirs.

After swallowing her dainty bite, Hana gushed, “I really must take some of these back home. I’ve never tasted anything so light and fluffy and sweet!”

“This rivals the finest pastries from the palace chefs,” agreed Liam. “Even Drake is smiling.”

Drake, who had been lost in the sweet, buttery taste of the cronut, came back to the moment, a smile still on his face. “What? I like a good dessert. Who doesn’t?”

“The last time I had something  _this_  good, Bertrand hired a pastry chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant to make his birthday cake.”

Drake remembered that party. It had been a wild one, even by Beaumont standards. In fact, “remembered” might not be the most accurate word. It was more like he had fuzzy snapshots of the night and a certainty that he’d been there and... had fun? Maybe? He also thought the cake may have been good, but who was he kidding, he probably would have eaten burnt shoes at that point of the night. The only other thing he remembered about that party was that it was soon after it that Savannah...  _We’re not doing this right now._

He forced himself back to the conversation.

“Wait a second,” Riley was saying. “Are you saying that Bertrand used to actually have fun?” she looked so stricken by the idea that Drake laughed quietly.

Maxwell grimaced, “Heh. Yeah, he wasn’t always like he is now.”

Liam nodded seriously, “There was a time when Bertrand would’ve been here with us tonight.”

“Really?” Riley’s eyebrows were raised so high, they might disappear into her hair if she got any more surprised.

“Yes. We were all close, once. But he’s grown distant in the past few years...” Liam trailed off sadly. Drake personally didn’t miss Bertrand’s overbearing personality in their outings, but he knew Liam considered him a friend. And even  _he_  had to admit that Bertrand had not been having the easiest time lately.

“Aw,” Maxwell clapped Liam on the shoulder reassuringly, “Bertrand’s gonna be fine. He’s just sorting some things out. You know what? I’ll even bring him back a cronut.”

Hana smiled warmly at him. “That’s sweet of you.”

“It’s a noble thought, but we’ll see if that cronut actually makes it back to the palace...” Drake raised a challenging eyebrow at Maxwell.

“I hope you’re not implying I’d  _eat_  my brother’s cronut...” Maxwell replied, scandalized. 

Drake crossed his arms, staring at him, “Wouldn’t you?” 

“Well,” Maxwell admitted reluctantly, “it’s the thought that counts anyway, right?”

“I can’t believe mine’s gone already.” said Hana, wiping flakes off elegantly with a napkin, “It was delicious.”

“What did I tell you? Have faith in me,” said Riley cockily.

“That was a treat! Thanks, Riley.” Maxwell did finger guns at her. 

Drake still wasn’t sure he’d want to revisit this place soon, but he  _was_  glad to spend time away from the palace. “We should sneak out more often.”

Liam sighed sadly, “I wish I could.”

"Well, maybe you just need a distraction! Yeah! Like, I could set up some fireworks in the ballroom and then–”

“ _Maxwell–_  Actually, no, go on, I’d love to see you try that.” Drake snickered.

“That  _would_ provide a distraction...” said Hana dubiously, “but it might not be the most practical way. You could, instead, use the classic trick of putting pillows in your bed to simulate being asleep!”

“ _Or_  – hear me out – we tell Drake that hors d’oeuvres are real food, we wait until he starts breaking stuff–”

“Hah, very funny, Addams,” interrupted Drake, gently kicking her foot under the table. She retaliated immediately. Drake chose to leave things there rather than escalate them because he was a gentleman... and also because she kicked much harder than he’d expected.

Liam let out a laugh, “Ha! You know, that could actually work. Good idea, Lady Riley.”

Riley beamed at him and Drake felt an unexpected twinge of annoyance. Before he could analyze that, though, Lady Hana looked at her phone and said, “Wow, it’s gotten late...”

Liam frowned with concern, looking at his own phone, “We should be getting back.”

“Don’t want the kingdom to panic over a missing prince?” teased Riley.

Liam smiled sadly, “Precisely. I’ve already been gone for quite some time.”

“Historians will tell of the day when Cordonia nearly collapsed because the Prince went out for cronuts.” Drake said dramatically, trying to lighten Liam’s mood. His best friend often felt guilty about the things Drake had sacrificed for him, but Drake knew that Liam’s life was much,  _much_  harder than his could ever be.

He succeeded in making Liam smile genuinely. “Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but we should still head back to the palace.”

Their chairs scraped the floor as they all got up at the same time, thanking the attendant before exiting the shop.

The night had gotten cooler while they’d been inside, but was still pleasant. They started on their way back to the palace when Drake spotted a shadowy figure lingering a few feet behind them. He nudged Liam. They came to a stop as Bastien moved into the light to greet them.

“Bastien? What are you doing here?” Liam asked.

“I couldn’t let you go out without security, Prince Liam.”

“But how did you even know?” said Liam, sounding disappointed. 

_Oh, sweet, innocent Liam, he’s so bad at sneaking out._

“Please, Your Highness. I was assigned to your brother before this. I’ve seen every trick in the book.” Bastien gave him a dry smile.

Liam bowed his head apologetically, “I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

“Like I said, I was assigned to your brother,” Bastien shrugged. “Compared to him, you’re hardly any trouble at all. But...”

“But we should be getting back.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll trail behind and keep an eye on things.”

“Thank you, Bastien.”

“My pleasure.”

Bastien remained where he was while the group moved on ahead. Drake found himself walking beside Riley at the back.

“So, Addams, about that bet–”

“What? You can’t tell me those cronuts didn’t live up to your expectations! I saw your stupid smile, Drake, you can’t lie to me.” She said all this as if she weren’t a short, skinny girl, but rather a brawny wrestler twice the size of Drake, ready to fight him.

“Whoa, whoa!” Drake put his hands up as he had done earlier to calm the horse down. “I was just gonna say, you win, Tough Girl, those cronuts were really something.”

He pulled a bill out of his pocket and handed it to her; she, however, refused to take it.

“Nah, save it, Drake. We should go double or nothing.”

“On what?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know, I’m sure we’ll find something.”

“Well, you win this round, Addams,” Drake admitted.

She smiled teasingly, “Don’t tell me that even big, bad Drake thinks that cronuts are worth the hype.”

“I can admit when someone else is right. It’s one of my charms,” he gave her a crooked smile.

Riley looked thoughtful for a moment. “I didn’t know you had any. Charms, I mean.”

Drake rolled his eyes, “Hah. You’re kind of funny, you know that?”

Riley looked at him with wide eyes and the beginnings of a smile, “Did you actually compliment me?”

_Yeah, why did I do that, again?_

“Don’t let it go to your head,” he mussed her hair playfully.

She swatted his hands away and closed her eyes, “Let me just memorize the taste... mhmmm... definitely a sour flavor, but mixed with... a hint of regret.”

“Laugh it up.”

She opened her eyes and gave him a satisfied smile. “And with a strong, bitter aftertaste.”

Her smile was more open and sincere than it had been all day. 

“Look at this. Everything’s better away from the palace. No stiff etiquette, no having to watch your back all the time. We can be ourselves out here.”

“Are you saying you can be less negative?” she asked seriously.

“I’m saying you’re more fun when you’re not trying to play princess,” he held her gaze then, trying to communicate what he meant less harshly. It’s not that she wasn’t fun usually, he just enjoyed her company more when he knew she could let her hair down. She seemed to understand, if her small smile was anything to go by.

“Hey! You two are falling behind. Catch up or we’ll leave you!” came Maxwell’s shout from the front of the group. They both looked away. Drake felt slighlty embarrassed, but couldn’t figure out why. 

“Looks like we should catch up to them,” he nodded towards their friends. “Shame, I was enjoying myself.” 

_There, I can be serious._

She took a different route. “You can have fun after all?” her face was a study in shock; fake shock, of course. “Call the press, I’ve made an earth-shattering discovery.”

He bumped her shoulder with his. “It’s not really a discovery. You were just blind to it the whole time. You’re like the last person to discover the Earth is round.”

She bumped him back. “Hey!”

Drake grinned at her. “So about that double or nothing... Last Riley to the group owes me a drink.”

He took off running towards the group. Thanks to his considerable head start, he got there first. Riley caught up a few seconds later, panting.

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Triple or nothing.”

“You know I’m in.”


	7. Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to Olivia's palace. Drake is not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty harsh to Olivia. I actually love her but this is Drake’s PoV so /: it will definitely soften over time, though!

Drake got in the limo with Liam and Bastien and immediately crossed his arms, directing his brooding stare out the window.

“Drake? What’s wrong?” Liam’s voice was laced with real concern, which only further irritated Drake.

“Oh, I don’t know, I had to wake up at an ungodly hour to go to  _Olivia’s_ estate, so everything’s just peachy, Liam.”

“Come on, Drake, she’s not  _that_ –”

“ _Do not_  say bad. Just don’t. You know what she’s like with me.”

“... Fair enough. I still think it’s a mistake to be acting like this, though.”

“Why?” Drake finally turned to look at Liam, his eyes sparkling with misplaced anger. “You scared I’ll ‘embarrass’ you in front of your suitors?”

“That’s enough.” Liam’s voice was not angry, but firm. “Stop being a child.”

Drake’s mouth dropped indignantly.

“I understand why you don’t like Olivia, but you  _will_  make an effort to be civil, because I know you can be the bigger person. As for earlier, I merely meant that you shouldn’t let someone you dislike ruin your day. Try to have fun, at least.”

Drake recovered his composure. “Fine. I–I will.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Besides, there is just one Olivia. You can choose to spend time with Maxwell, Hana and Riley instead.”

“Lady Kiara will be there too,” jumped in Bastien with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

“Shut up, Bastien. But yeah, I guess it could be fun,” said Drake with a grudging smile. He returned to looking at the window with a more relaxed posture.

“A child...” he grumbled, “I’m not a child.”

“Sure you’re not,” sniggered Bastien. “And before you ask,  _no_ , we’re not there yet.”

Drake – very maturely, in his opinion – resisted the urge to mimic Bastien mockingly and contented himself with pulling a face at him.

One long car ride later, Drake and Liam were woken up by Bastien, who had barely blinked the entire journey. 

“Bastien,” said Liam, “now that we’re here, you should get some rest.”

“Your Highness, I can’t–”

“Assign one of your men to me and go rest. I am serious.”

Bastien sighed in defeat. “I will, Your Highness.”

Drake clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically. “Quit worrying, old man, he’ll be fine.  _I’ll_ be there.”

Bastien looked severely unimpressed.

Drake’s hand went to his chest, feigning outrage. “Your skepticism wounds me, but your man will be there too, anyway. So go rest.” He made a shooing motion and Bastien finally walked away, talking into his earpiece.

“I must go greet Olivia and thank her for her hospitality. I take it you’d rather stay and wait for the others?”

“You take it right,” replied Drake grumpily. “Say hi to annoying-ass Ronald McDonald for me.”

Liam shot him a look and shook his head with a reluctant smile.

As Liam walked away, Drake took in his surroundings. He was standing at the foot of an imposing mountain range. Their pristine white surfaces interrupted by snow-covered pine trees standing in small clusters. There was a frozen lake in the distance and the sounds of laughter and shouts of joy reached him through the crisp air. He breathed in deeply.

Despite his temper, he couldn’t deny it was beautiful here. The type of place he wouldn’t mind spending some time in with friends... or a girl. 

_Whoa, where did that come from?_

He did not often think that way. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d wished to have a relationship. He was by no means inexperienced, but he preferred to keep things casual. At court, with so much gossip going around and reputations to maintain, this didn’t exactly make him popular with the ladies. 

_Is it because I’m not a noble? Huh._

_Or maybe it’s all those walls you put up, asshole..._

_Yep, that sounds more likely._

He let his thoughts wander freely, curious about where they’d take him. He found himself daydreaming of skiing with this mystery girl and then cuddling next to a fire. He shook his head in surprise. 

_Do I really want that? Something so... domestic? Or am I just being weird ‘cause Liam’s getting married?_

His brain wasn’t done, though; he and the girl had started making out. 

_Wait, why haven’t I thought of her face?_

He turned his attention to the girl, trying to picture what she looked like...

“Here we are...” said a loud, excited voice behind him. “Welcome to Lythikos! Land of ice, snow, and mountains.”

Drake wheeled around to find Maxwell, Riley and Hana approaching. He felt his face grow warm for no apparent reason and smiled sheepishly at them, feeling like a kid caught red-handed. 

_What the hell, dude? Chill._

Fortunately, all three of them were too busy taking in the magnificent landscape to pay much attention to him. 

“This is where Olivia lives?” Riley said, her mouth open in awe.

“Some of the time, yeah,” replied Maxwell. “She’s primarily at Lythikos Hall, which is further south, but she’ll host us up here for the social season, so we can take advantage of the snowy festivities...” 

He mimicked skating, skiing and a snowball fight. Hana let out her tinkling laugh while Riley smiled and made eye contact with Drake, her eyes saying something like, “This guy.” Drake smiled back and rolled his eyes at Maxwell. 

Riley’s face suddenly became serious,“And so she can take advantage of the Prince?”

Drake resisted the urge to say something harsh. Of course she’ll take the advantage of being in her home turf! She’d be a fool not to; and Olivia was a lot of nasty things, in Drake’s opinion, but a fool was not one of them. 

 _Why does she even care? Liam is clearly gonna choose her..._   _God, how naive can you get?!_

“She  _does_  have the edge here, but that’s no reason to admit defeat!” Hana said, chipper. She put a hand on Riley’s shoulder.

“That’s the spirit,” Maxwell put his hand on Riley’s other shoulder.

Drake looked around and realized something was missing. “What happened to your brother, Maxwell? I notice he’s not around lecturing Addams.” Riley nodded thoughtfully. Drake continued, “I thought he hated to miss out on the chance to eat fancy food and rub elbows with the royals...”

Maxwell fidgeted uncomfortably, then passed it off as a shiver. “Bertrand was called away for some business having to do with our estate.”

Drake narrowed his eyes at Maxwell suspiciously, while the latter pretended not to notice, bending down to form a snowball.

“Bertrand is gone?” 

Drake could swear Riley’s smile took up half her face; it would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so... endearing? 

 _Huh. At least I didn’t think cute first._  

“This is starting to sound like a real vacation after all.” Riley had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she said this.

“That’s one way to put it,” Maxwell conceded. “Now we can really enjoy ourselves.”

“Well, it  _is_  beautiful out here...” Hana said, still looking around admiringly. “Even if it is so very  _cold_!” She shivered violently in her thin dress.

He turned to look at Riley and noticed she too was wearing inadequate clothing.

__This is crazy! Addams is gonna get hypothermia! Er, they both will!_ _

He looked at them disapprovingly. 

“Didn’t you pack anything warmer?” he directed his question at Hana, who seemed to be shaking more than Riley.

She grimaced. She even did that prettily. “...Not exactly. I didn’t realize it’d be snowing quite this much... but I’ll survive.” Drake privately doubted that, but it didn’t seem like saying it out loud would be any help. “What say we check out the inside of the chateau?” Hana pointed in the direction of the chateau, whose roof poked out among the trees.

Maxwell, who had been building an indiscernible snow creature, came back to them. “Good idea. Riley, let’s go! I can show you where your room is...”

They walked towards the imposing chateau. The enormous double doors were opened for them by guards and they entered. The chateau was opulent and intimidating, all marble with purple details here and there. He noticed most of the decor had sharp points. 

 _Very Nevrakis._  

“All right, I’m taking Riley to her room. Should we meet at the frozen lake for skating in 20 minutes?”

Drake snorted. “I won’t be skating, but sure.”

Maxwell shrugged and started towards the stairs.

“Why, Drake? You scared?” teased Riley.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. “I could skate circles around you.”

“Oh? How about that triple or nothing, then?”

“Well, uh, I’d rather ski, actually.”

“Fine. I can beat you at anything, Drake, no worries,” she gave him a cheerful smile and winked before catching up to Maxwell.

Drake turned to go and caught a glimpse of Hana looking curiously at him. It made him uneasy but he decided not to dwell on it.

After a quick nap, Drake put on a scarf and went out to meet the others. He really didn’t plan on skating and he was, in fact, scared. He’d never skated before and it seemed like the kind of activity that required the kind of grace he lacked. 

He was sure Maxwell would be decent at it, being a noble, or at least would have the enthusiasm to make up for any clumsiness. Hana would be incredible at it, obviously. And Riley... Riley would approach it as she had done everything else, so far: fearlessly. He smiled involuntarily. He had to hand it to her, she was so much more than he’d thought.

After a few minutes of walking, he came to the clearing where the lake was. Like everywhere else around here, the ground sparkled with blue-white snow where it hadn’t been disturbed; around the shores of the lake, however, the snow was muddy and messy.

Everyone else was already there. He spotted Liam skating with Olivia and Maxwell skating with Riley, who had changed into something warmer. A weight he hadn’t realized had been on his chest this whole time, lifted. 

_Okay, so I’m glad she’s not getting hypothermia, that doesn’t mean anything. I wouldn’t even want Olivia to get hypothermia... I don’t think._

Quite apart from being a better outfit for this weather, her new ensemble really suited her. She looked cozy and cute. 

_Damn it, I thought it that time._

He searched for a distraction and saw Hana sitting by the shore. She looked melancholy.

_Here we go again._

He sat next to her, this time not waiting for her invitation. Hana didn’t even seem to notice, her eyes were so far away. Drake followed her gaze and found himself looking directly at Riley, who was now happily skating with Liam. They looked perfect together.

His staring in the same direction as Hana seemed to shake her from her trance and she turned to look at Drake, but her eyes still looked wistful. A moment of understanding passed between them. Drake just nodded and she shrugged as if to say, “What can you do?” She then surprised him by resting her head on his shoulder. Drake froze up for a second, then relaxed into it.

He noticed Liam skating off to join Olivia again and nudged Hana’s head with his shoulder. “Liam’s gone. You should go skate.”

“Oh! He is... but I’m not sure I–”

“Hana, go.”

“...You’re right. Thank you, Drake!”

Drake watched Hana skate perfectly –  _I knew it_  – towards Riley, who received her with a huge smile. Drake smiled slightly. 

 _So, Hana has a crush on Addams, huh? Can’t say I blame her. I mean, not that_ I _see it, but whatever._

Just then, he heard Lady Kiara cry out after falling on her butt. Drake restrained his laughter as best as he could and waved her over. She slowly got up and made her uncharacteristically inelegant way off the ice towards him.

“Hello, Drake.”

“Hi, Lady Kiara. I hope you’re well.”

“Well, aside from a few bruises, I’m doing great.  _Et toi_?”

“Yeah, you should be more careful. You’ll definitely be sore tomorrow.”

“ _Peut-être._  But I plan on taking a bubble bath tonight, so that might help...”

She looked him directly in the eyes as she said this, a small, coy smile on her lips. Drake gulped. 

“Uh, y-yeah, that should, um, do the trick. I’m gonna go on the lift now but enjoy your bath!” He practically yelled that last part. 

 _Goddamn, I’m out of practice._  

He shuddered at his ineptitude. Why was he acting like this? Sure, he’d never exactly been Don Juan, but he used to be able to talk to girls, damn it!

_I don’t know. I guess I’m not sure about Lady Kiara._

He quickly got fitted for his boots and skis, then went on the lift by himself, not feeling up for company. Once at the top of the mountain, he reveled in the deep silence; a silence so complete it was almost palpable, like a heavy blanket. He sensed all his negative thoughts tip toeing out of his mind while he breathed in deeply, sitting down sideways with his skis already on.

A few minutes later, he heard voices slowly coming up the mountain. He looked up and say the whole party approaching the top on the lift. Two by two, they skied off their chairs. He got up with difficulty and got out of their way. Suddenly, his vision was obscured by snow and his clothes splattered with it; he heard a loud, clear laugh. 

_Of course she had to spray me._

He scowled at Riley jokingly. She laughed harder, undeterred by his glare. He couldn’t help but laugh, too.

“So, Addams, you finally made it to the slopes.”

“What’s wrong, Drake?” She put her hand on her hip. “Were you starting to miss me?”

Drake rolled her eyes at her. 

_S_ _omeone thinks highly of herself._

“Hardly. I was just getting bored.”

“You didn’t go skating?” Riley asked.

_Cool, so she didn’t even notice I wasn’t there. Yeah, that’s fine._

“Figure skating isn’t really my thing,” he grumbled.

“Really? I think you’d look good in a tutu,” she poked him playfully and giggled.

“Some mental images aren’t worth the effort,” replied Drake, mock horrified.

“I suppose skiing is manly enough for you,” Riley said, gesturing toward the slope nearest them – a blue one – with her pole.

“I’d hardly call what’s going on here skiing,” Drake said scathingly, nodding towards Penelope, who was trying – and failing – to put on her second ski and looked to be seconds away from losing her balance. “But I’m looking to change that. How about a race?”

“What makes you think I can ski?” Riley smirked.

_I’ve been so hard on her, how is she even talking to me? She’s actually doing better than any other suitor._

He decided to go for honesty, “Maybe I’m starting to have faith in you, Addams.”

Riley looked shocked for a second, then a delighted smile spread across her face. “Drake, you’re scaring me with your... niceness.” She eyed him suspiciously.

Drake gave a short laugh. “I’m scaring myself. Anyway, I’m going to start skiing down this slope in a minute, and if I get to the bottom before you... Well, let’s just say I’m calling that a win, and I might never let you hear the end of it.” He turned his back on her and faced the somewhat steep slope in front of them.

He turned his head to look at Riley, who was still struggling with her poles’ straps, which had gotten tangled and winked. “Ready... set... Don’t wipe out!”

He took off with a push of his poles. Faintly, he heard Riley yell, “Hey!” indignantly. He laughed to himself and savored the cool air whipping at his face and the speed he was picking up by the second. 

He heard Riley getting closer behind him and he bent his knees and leaned forward more, trying to gain on her.

“I’m gonna catch you, Drake! You’re gonna eat my dust... er, snow!” she squealed gleefully.

“You talk a lot of game for someone who’s losing, Addams!” he called back to her. When he turned his head back, he barely had time to swerve over a fallen log. He regained control and shouted, ”Watch yourself, Addams!”

He pivoted completely so he could watch her, worried. 

_Shit, if something happens to her... Liam’s gonna be pissed._

He needn’t have worried. Riley swerved the log more gracefully than he did, thanks to his heads up, and continued skiing down seamlessly.

“Uh oh,” Drake muttered. Having lost his momentum, he pushed himself off with his poles again, but his speed was nowhere near hers; it was all he could do to keep up with her. They got to the bottom at roughly the same time.

“Not bad, Addams, we’ll call that a draw,” he offered his hand.

“A draw?” Riley slapped his hand away. “You had a head start.”

Drake gave her a smug smile, “I think you meant to say that you had a late start.”

“You just don’t want to admit you lost.” Riley crossed her arms.

“I’m being generous. I had at least a nose or two on you.”

Riley laughed and pushed him playfully. Drake grabbed her arms so she couldn’t push him anymore. They smiled goofily.

“Are you gonna attack me?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“On you recognizing that I was the clear winner.”

“Never gonna happen.”

“Then yeah, I’m gonna attack you.”

“Okay, how about this, I will admit your skiing skills took me by surprise.”

“In how superior they are to yours?”

“Don’t push it, Addams.”

“Fine, I’ll take it.”

Drake let go of her hands and breathed in the clean mountain air. “This trip hasn’t been half bad so far. Shame that tomorrow it’s back to waltzing and bowing and all that,” he grimaced.

Riley nodded in agreement, “At least I can ski better than I can waltz... which is barely at all.”

Drake’s eyes widened, “Wait... You can’t waltz? I thought you danced with Liam...”

“Yeah, but he did a lot of the work... Why? Is it important?” she looked like a deer caught in the headlights, her eyes huge and worried. It took everything Drake had not to laugh.

“Oh, Addams, Addams, Addams...” he shook his head with each “Addams”. “What would you do without me? There’s a ball tomorrow. All of the ladies are expected to dance the Cordonian Waltz in front of everyone.”

“Oh...” she tried to shrug nonchalantly; it came off as a nervous tic. “It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.”

Drake finally broke down and sniggered. “It’s very complicated.”

Riley glared at him and then shrugged again, more successfully. “No biggie. I’ve survived this far.”

Drake smiled and raised his eyebrows at her. “Whatever you say, Addams.”

“But let’s say I’m curious... How does one dance the Cordonian Waltz?”

She looked so helpless that Drake wished he could learn the dance then and there just so he could teach her. 

 _Who knew years of ignoring everything the nobles do would bite me in the ass one day?_  

“Sadly, I can’t help you there. _I_ don’t know the steps.” He had an idea that would harvest two apples in one go, “You should ask Hana. If anyone knows everything forwards and backwards, it’s that one.”

“Yeah... maybe,” Riley said dubiously. She probably didn’t want to inconvenience Hana... 

_Little does she know._

At that moment, the shrill voice Drake had successfully avoided all day broke through the stillness of the mountain. “It’s time to head over to the lodge. I’ve had enough snow for today.” Olivia didn’t seem too thrilled with how her day was going, which only further cheered Drake up. 

He turned to look at Riley and gave her an open smile. “Thanks for the race. I actually had fun.”

“Maybe you’re not as bad as you seem,” she replied teasingly.

Drake rolled his eyes, privately pleased. “You’re going soft on me, Addams.”

“So where does this race leave us? With our bet, I mean,” she asked.

“I guess we’re still on triple or nothing. That is, if you’re up for it.”

“That’s not even a question. I’m not  _that_  soft,” she smirked.

They all returned their boots and skis and walked back to the chateau, exhausted.

Olivia directed them into a plush drawing room, where tea and hot chocolate were being served. Drake slumped gratefully on one of the fancy sofas and his friends all followed suit. They were each handed a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating in it. Drake sipped it happily. Today had been a good day.

As if echoing his thoughts, Maxwell asked, “Did you have fun today, Riley?”

Drake turned to look at her, trying no to be too conspicuous.

Riley smiled widely, “Today was super fun!” Drake couldn’t be sure but he thought she’d glanced at him when she said that.  _She probably means with Liam_. “And now we have hot chocolate,” she said, drinking some.

“This is wonderful. Look, little marshmallows shaped like hearts!” Hana said excitedly.

Drake was momentarily distracted by Riley, who was licking off her chocolate mustache. He said the first thing that came into his head, “Just... just adorable.”

Before Drake had time to puzzle over what he’d just said, they heard footsteps and Maxwell said, “Watch yourself... We’ve got incoming.”

Olivia came into the room, wearing her signature arrogant smile. “Well, hello, my dear guests. I hope you’re enjoying my spectacular hosting.”

“I always enjoy my time here with you, Olivia...” Maxwell replied diplomatically.

“It’s...” Drake was about to end his sentence with “slightly better than being dead” when he remembered he’d promised Liam he’d be polite, “something.”

Olivia’s smile grew, “Did you see that we have eclairs, Drake? They always remind me of dear, darling little  _Savannah_. She’d gobble them down like a sow at the trough.”

Drake felt the back of his neck grow hot, “Don’t talk about my sister.”

“Why ever not?” said Olivia, a shocked look on her face. “She was such a fixture at court, and then she just up and disappeared. You never told us what happened, and usually gossip is quick to spread.”

Drake balled up his fists, “She left because of people like you.”

Olivia  _tsk-_ ed. “She always was the sensitive sort. Ladies like that don’t last long here.”

She kept smiling at him gloatingly and he clenched his jaw. He needed to do something or he would absolutely explode and then Liam would be upset. 

_Why did she have to talk about– Wait, that’s it!_

He looked at his phone and, sure enough, he was right on time. He relaxed and got up. 

“You know what? I just remembered, I’ve got somewhere I need to be. If you’ll excuse me...” he bowed at everyone in the room and turned to leave.

“Wait, Drake, dear! Come back! I wasn’t finished with you!” Olivia yelled at his back.

To his utter bewilderment, he heard Riley say angrily – angrier than he’d ever heard her sound, “Olivia, leave Drake alone before I slap that smile off your face.”

 _She’s... she’s_ defending _me?_

Nobody had ever stood up to Olivia for Drake, at least not to her face. Sure, Liam acknowledged the way she treated him was shitty, but he never really said much  _to her_. He hesitated at the doorway, wanting to say something. But what, thanks? It felt like too much and too little at the same time. He left.

He walked the darkening grounds on his own, thinking about Riley and Savannah. Two women in a similar situation and yet such different approaches. Where Savannah had been sweet and trusting, Riley was... still sweet, but shrewd at the same time. He couldn’t picture her falling for fake friendships or relationships. She knew where she stood.

And here he’d been acting like an asshole, thinking she couldn’t protect herself. He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Oh, he’d still keep an eye out for her – these nobles were not to be underestimated – but he figured he could be less of a dick to her now. Maybe even be friends...

His feet had been taking him almost automatically to a clearing he’d noticed earlier while everyone skated. The wind was picking up more and more, but the storm was still some time away. He stood there, waiting for the sky to clear, when he heard footsteps behind him, followed by a decidedly unspooky, “Oooooooo...”

“Who’s there?” Drake asked, although he had a suspicion he knew who it might be.

Riley jumped out from behind a tree with her arms up and yelled, “A GHOST!”

“Riley?” He wasn’t surprised it was her, as he’d recognized her voice, but he was dumbfounded she was there  _at all_. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Riley put her arms down disappointedly. “You don’t scare easily, huh?”

Drake smirked at her. “You’ll have to do better than that. Now answer the question.”

Riley twiddled her thumbs and looked down at her feet. “I saw you going off on your own, close to dark with a storm coming, and... I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She looked up from her feet and made eye contact with Drake. The look in her eyes was so sincere. “After what Olivia said to you... I could see that it struck something inside you.” She stepped forward with an arm outstretched, as if to comfort Drake.

He couldn’t believe his ears.  _She_  was looking out for  _him_  now? No. She needed to concentrate, to think about the competition and be on her guard with the other suitors.

_Shit, I’m distracting her. She needs to stop wasting her time on me._

“No offense, but you’re the last person I need looking out for me.” 

_So much for being less of a dick._

As per usual, what he said was a lot harsher than he intended.

Riley seemed to agree. She said, “Thanks,” then turned to leave, her face red with embarrassment and anger.

It was Drake’s turn to stretch out his arm, to stop her. He let it fall loosely to his side. “That’s not what I... Oh hell.” He rubbed his face, trying to come up with the words. She didn’t deserve this. “I’m not trying to be a jerk, Addams,” He looked at her earnestly. “I only meant that you shouldn’t have to worry about me. You should only be looking out for yourself.”

Riley’s face returned to its natural expression, though she didn’t seem too happy yet. “What did you come out here to do, exactly?”

Drake thought about explaining and unexpectedly found that he was too tired. It had been a long day for him, emotionally. “If you really want to know... you’ll have to trust me,” he gave her a small smile.

Riley arched an eyebrow. “Trust you? I’d trust you about as far as I can throw you. And you look pretty heavy to me.” She was smiling now, and Drake’s smile mirrored hers.

“Heh. Well, you’re out here alone with me at night, so you must think I’m at least not some kind of murderer.”

She replied, “The thought crossed my mind.”

“Here, I’ll make this easy for you...” Drake walked towards her and gave her a gentle yet firm push. Riley fought valiantly to keep her footing, but she did end up falling on her butt. She looked so offended as he looked up at him and said, “Hey!” that he could barely restrain his laughter.

Without a word he laid down beside her and looked up towards the sky. She noticed and did the same. Drake then decided he’d rather see her face when she saw it; it did not disappoint. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped, she looked absolutely amazed. Her reaction was everything he could have hoped for. She whispered, “Drake...” and turned to look at him.

“Yes, my lady?”

The look of awe on her face was replaced with a radiant smile, “This is absolutely gorgeous.”

Drake looked back up at the luminescent sky, shooting stars streaking past every few seconds. “Nothing beats a clear view of the sky during a meteor shower.”

Riley turned towards him. “I’m glad I didn’t miss this.”

“Really?” said Drake, still looking up. He gathered his courage to ask the next question, “Would’ve figured you’d rather eat bon-bons and dress up tiny dogs, or whatever Olivia had planned for the night.” It was a mocking question, true, but underneath it was real doubt.

Riley shook her head easily. “Not exactly my scene.” He turned to look at her and it seemed like she was being honest. She really would rather be out here with him, than inside playing princess. “Looks like we were just in time to see this before the storm comes.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to miss it.” Before he knew it, the words were spilling out of his mouth, “I used to do this with my younger sister, Savannah, every year.” He looked up with a sad smile. “We grew up around the royals. My dad used to do security for Liam and his brother, and my sister and I were allowed to hang out with them. Liam and I ended up getting close, even though I didn’t have the lineage to merit it.” Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Riley shake her head, but he couldn’t be certain. 

He continued, “Savannah, on the other hand, got along with everyone, and they were all friendly with her. She  _loved_  living at the palace when we were kids, being around all the pretty dresses and jewelry...” He smiled fondly, remembering the girl she’d been. He swallowed against the knot in his throat. “But it got harder when she was older.”

Riley was still turned towards him, giving him her full attention, “What happened?”

“She... It was hard on her. She couldn’t take it, I guess.” He struggled to find the words to encompass what Savannah meant to him, how painful it was that she didn’t trust him, how guilty he felt that he hadn’t been there for her... 

“After what happened with...” He didn’t even know what had happened to his own sister, nor who was responsible either! “I... I failed her. I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t protect her from this place... or these people.”  _That about sums it up._

He dragged his hand across his face, trying to erase everything, feeling shocked at his outburst. Even more shocking was that he didn’t feel embarrassed about it. She was a good listener.

“Sorry, it’s... I guess I’m still not ready to talk about it. This is more than I’ve talked about it with anyone in the last year, actually.”

“Really?” Riley touched his arm. He finally turned sideways to look at her and found her eyes filled with worry. He smiled at her, letting her know he was okay. She smiled back hesitantly. “Does this mean we’re friends now?”

Friends? He didn’t know what to say. Like before, the word seemed to involve too much and too little at the same time. He barely knew her, for one. For another, however, he’d just opened up to her in a way he rarely did to anyone else; maybe Liam sometimes, but not lately.

“Friends... I wouldn’t go that far, Addams,” he kept smiling while he said this, hoping to transmit a bit of what he was thinking.

She seemed to understand. “Should we just call it not-enemies, then?”

“I guess I can’t really stop you, can I?”

“Nope,” she replied and pushed him onto his back.

“Hey!”

“Are you kidding? After the way you pushed me before, you owed me!” she said between giggles.

“...Okay, true.”

Their laughs subsided and Riley spoke softly, “You know, I get it.”

“Get what?”

“What it’s like to lose somebody, and feel like you could’ve done more...” She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. 

Drake sat up next to her and waited to hear more. When she didn’t speak for a minute or two, Drake cleared his throat. “Do you want to, uh, talk about it?”

She seemed to come back from far away and then turned to look at him. “Not now, but it’s enough that you’re here, listening.” 

She leaned her head on his shoulder just like Hana had done earlier. For some reason this felt... different. Although he was just as – if not more – surprised as when Hana did it, Drake’s body never froze, as if it expected her to do that; hell, as if she  _belonged_  there. 

_Okay, stop, the cold is definitely getting to you._

He nudged her gently. “We better get back. It’d be quite the scandal if I let one of the Prince’s suitors freeze to death out here on my watch.”

Her playfulness was back in a second and it felt like it was somebody else who had been thinking that she belonged there, sitting with him. 

 _This is Addams we’re talking about. Annoying a good 90% of the time_. 

“I’d hate for my untimely demise to cause you any difficulty,” she said with horror.

“Not to mention that Maxwell would never let me hear the end of it,” he chuckled.

“I’m sure even Bertrand would be upset, in his own way.”

“Bertrand? He’d only be upset if he couldn’t turn it into some kind of press event.” 

She laughed loudly; it was incredibly contagious. He joined her and found that he didn’t feel as cold anymore. She grabbed his arm for support, still laughing. She finally stopped and took a step back. They shared an amused look that went on for too long. Drake cleared his throat. “Now, let’s go.”

He started walking, leading the way. He’d only taken a few steps when he felt a small, startlingly warm hand in his. He almost ran into a tree. Riley must have noticed his momentary clumsiness because she blushed and said, “For... y’know, safety.”

Drake gulped and nodded. “It’s really slippery out here.”

“Yeah.”

They shared another long look. “We should both be careful,” Drake said, not breaking eye contact. 

_In more ways than one._

The smile she gave him didn’t make it clear whether she understood what he meant. “Exactly.”

The journey back seemed to Drake too short altogether.

_I enjoy her company, so what?_

He didn’t know why he was suddenly mad at himself. 

They reached the chateau, still hand in hand.

“Well...” Riley said when they reached the main hall. “This was...”

“Yeah. Addams, I–”

“There you are!” Hana had come in from an adjacent room, looking relieved. They immediately dropped each other’s hand. Drake’s hand felt cold as soon as they did.

Riley turned towards Hana, delighted to see her. “You’re up late.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Her forehead creased with worry. “With you and Drake out there in the storm...”

“I’m sorry we kept you up.” Riley went towards her and hugged her.

Hana patted her back, looking stricken, but pleased. “Oh, I’m just glad you got back before it really started coming down out there!” She turned to look at Drake and he thought there was a question in that gaze, which he decided to ignore. “But you must be freezing, Drake, dressed in just that.”

Drake realized he was, indeed, very cold. He waved goodbye reluctantly. “Yeah. I’m going to go get changed. G’night, ladies.”

It could have been his imagination, but he thought he saw Riley’s face fall a little before they both bid him good night.


	8. A Waltz to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to a ball. Drake and Riley celebrate the moments in between.

Maxwell had come into Drake’s room earlier than he would’ve liked.

“What are you doing here?” Drake groaned, still half asleep.

“I just wanted to hang out.”

“Hang out?! I hate you right now.”

“Aw, come on! I feel like I almost didn’t see you yesterday... I’m sorry, by the way, about the Savannah thing...”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” replied Drake hurriedly, eager to change the subject, “it’s water under the bridge.”

“Drake, I’m serious.” Maxwell  _did_  look serious, uncharacteristically so, as he looked Drake directly in the eye. “I’m really sorry. If it makes you feel any better I’m sure wherever she is, she’s doing okay.”

“Well, you can’t know that but thanks for trying anyway,” Drake sighed and sat up on his bed.

“I’m glad Riley went after you.”

“Actually...” Drake hesitated, “so am I.”

“Oh really?” Maxwell held back a smile. “That’s interesting. If I remember correctly  _you_  didn’t even want her to come here in the first place.”

“Can you blame me?! She seemed so...” Drake struggled to explain or even remember why he hadn’t wanted Riley here, but it seemed like he’d thought so years ago. “But now she’s so...” 

He looked down at his hands, searching for words that could define what he thought about her now without going overboard, but his brain appeared to be stuck on “amazing”. He chose to make a helpless hand gesture instead, hoping Maxwell wouldn’t dwell on his non-phrases.

Of course, Maxwell preferred to dwell on something else.

“So I guess what you’re saying is... I was... right?” His delighted grin only grew as he saw Drake’s horrified expression. “Admit I have good ideas, come on, say it.”

“I will not.”

“Pleeease?”

“Fine, you had  _one_  good idea.”

“Nope, it has to be ideas, plural. As in, including Club Sub.”

“Don’t do this to me,” said Drake weakly.

“Do it, or I’ll tell Riley and Hana about that time you danced to Hayley Rose on the table at a Beaumont Bash.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“I have  _video_.”

“You have good – nay –  _great_  ideas, Maxwell,” said Drake solemnly.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Maxwell clapped him in the back and sat down beside him. “I saw you talking to Lady Kiara yesterday, what’s going on there?”

“Nothing’s going on!”

“Drake, remember what I said the other day, not everyone–”

“Wants chocolate, I know, but it’s not just that. I... guess I’m not sure how much I like Lady Kiara as a person, y’know? I mean, she’s fine, she’s always nice to me but I don’t feel as comfortable around her; not like I feel with A– Uh, w-with you, or Liam.” He cleared his throat.

Maxwell wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. “Drake, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Yeah, yeah, now get the hell out so I can get ready for the stupid ball.”

“Sure!” said Maxwell with his usual enthusiasm, still looking pleased. “See you there!”

Drake was left to ponder the fact that he’d almost said “Addams” just then.

After trying and failing to clear his mind in the shower, he decided to allow himself a few minutes to think about that before moving on.

_Dude, why are you so freaked out? You feel comfortable with Addams, well, duh! She wore you down! She’s always around, being annoying with her stupid teasing, and her nosiness, and her wanting to help people and cheer them up, and wanting to make sure you were okay yesterday..._

He’d put his shirt on inside out.

There was a knock on his door for the second time that day.

“Uh, come in.” He hurriedly put his shirt on right as Liam came into his room.

“Oh, hey, man.”

“Hi, Drake.”

“What’s up? I barely saw you yesterday.”

“Yes and, in fact, that is what I came here to talk about.”

“Oh?”

“I noticed you spent quite some time with Lady Riley yesterday.”

“Oh. Um, yeah I, uh, I guess I did.” Drake rubbed the back of his neck, feeling guilty for no good reason.

“Well, I just wanted to thank you.”

“Listen, Liam, I– Wait, thank me?”

“Yes, of course, I know you don’t approve of her, but I appreciate you watching out for her and keeping her entertained while I fulfill my duties.”

“Right, sure. You’re,” Drake swallowed, “welcome. And I don’t disapprove of her anymore, you know? I actually think she’d make a decent enough queen.” He felt his mouth grimace of its own accord when he said that, but Liam didn’t appear to notice.

“She would, wouldn’t she?” Liam’s eyes were dreamy and a small smile lit up his face. “I just wish I could spend more time with her.”

“Yeah, well, duty first and all that.”

“Yes... but it shouldn’t be. Drake, you’ve made up my mind. From tomorrow’s event on, I have resolved to spend as much time with Lady Riley as I can get away with without slighting the other suitors,” he said giddily.

“Great. That is a-a great idea, Liam. I’m glad you decided that. So glad! I won’t even have to keep spending time with her, ha ha. Well, this has been great, but I think I’m gonna take a walk. See you at the dance, buddy!”

Drake hurried out of his room like he was being chased.

After exploring the chateau, followed by a long walk filled with nothing but silence occasionally interrupted by the sounds of nature, Drake was feeling much better. 

 _Damn, this place is_ not _good for me._

He looked at his phone and cursed under his breath; he needed to get back for the stupid ball. As he walked, he got a text from Bastien saying,  _“Bought photos back. Still working on culprit. Talk to you soon, Bastien.”_

He texted back, _“Great news! I’ll see you tomorrow. And you don’t have to sign your texts.”_

He felt his phone vibrate,  _“Got it, thanks, Bastien.”_

He chuckled as he pocketed it before entering the ballroom.

He automatically walked to the table farthest from the dance floor; he knew Olivia well enough by now. He was followed by a frantic usher, intent on showing him his seat. The usher seemed like he might cry if Drake didn’t let him show him the seating chart, so he turned and heard him say exactly what he knew he would: he was in the very back of the ballroom.

He slumped down in a chair. He knew this was coming every time, more so when Olivia was involved, and yet it still stung. Mostly because sitting here severely undercut his ability to enjoy himself. The food would be inedible – if they even served him any – and the company would be–

 _Addams is coming to my table._  

Her snowy gown sparkled in the soft light of the ballroom, and yet it didn’t outshine her; if anything, she looked even more luminous by comparison. He was pretty sure his mouth was open, so he carefully arranged it into a casual smirk. 

_Damn, if she doesn’t look amazing._

_Oh, and Hana’s here, too._

He definitely wasn’t going to get hung up on the fact that it took him a full minute to register that Hana, an objectively beautiful woman, was even there.

“Welcome to the table of exiles.”

Riley grinned. “Drake? I’m actually glad to see you.” He managed to avoid saying something in disbelief, but it was a close call. “And here I was worried that we’d be stuck with some stuffy nobles.” He smirked more widely and pulled out the chair next to him for her.

"It’s probably meant to be an even bigger slight that we’re with a commoner,” sighed Hana. Drake had almost forgotten she was there. 

_And what a lovely reminder._

He looked fixedly at his empty plate but out of the corner of his eye caught Riley shooting Hana a disapproving look.

She sat down next to him and put her hand on his arm, which was resting on the table. “Well, Olivia really missed the mark this time.”

Drake tried to control his smile, but it was futile. “Thanks, Addams. That actually means something, coming from you.”

They held each other’s gaze until Hana’s chair scraped the floor as she pulled it out. They both turned to look at her.

“Drake, you don’t seem bothered at all to be seated in the back.” She seemed to be trying to make small talk to make up for her earlier blunder. Drake decided to let it slide.

“What can I say? After enough years of being treated like this, you build up a thick skin.” 

 _Or at least you pretend to._  

“Besides, back here? Out of the spotlight? At least we can relax.” He turned to look at Riley at this last part with a playful smile, which she returned.

Waiters had started bringing the food out and the room was suddenly filled with delicious smells that were wafting from the bowls they were carrying. He couldn’t tell what it was exactly, but his mouth was watering already. 

_Too bad we won’t even get to try it._

As if hearing his thoughts, Hana said, “The food looks amazing. I hope they serve us soon! I’m  _starving_!”

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” he informed her. “Where we’re seated, we’ll be the last to eat. If there’s even any left by the time they get to us.”

“But... the lobster bisque... do you really think we’ll go hungry?” Hana pouted.

Riley, who had looked outraged when he explained they were likely not eating, got a determined look on her face. “Not if I can help it. This can’t be too different from hailing a New York taxi.”

She winked at them before getting up and approaching a passing waiter jerkily. “Hey... Please, I’m about to faint.” She put her arms on the waiter’s chest, as if she couldn’t support her weight. “I need food.”

Drake caught on to what she was doing and instinctively got up from his chair. Hana was watching fascinatingly.

“I haven’t eaten all day, I...” Riley slowly crumpled backwards. Drake yelled, “Hey!” louder than he intended and threw himself forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Riley kept going, like a pro, “Please... food...”

The waiter looked like she was about to faint herself and hastily dropped a single bowl of bisque on their table, scurrying away before any of these crazy nobles had a chance to pull anything else.

Drake was still holding Riley. He was suddenly very aware that he could smell her sweet, fresh perfume, and that his arms, surrounding her torso, were pressing them close together. He cleared his throat and helped her to her feet.

He pulled her chair out for her and then sat down. “I can’t believe that actually worked, Addams.” He shook his head with a smile. “Just... warn me before you take a dive. Next time I might not catch you.”

She gave him a charming smile with twinkling eyes. “Oh, Drake. You know I like to keep you on your toes.”

He chuckled.

_That she does._

“Well, let’s examine out riches! One piping hot bowl of lobster bisque to split three ways?” Hana passed them each a spoon.

“Let’s dig in!” Riley did a little excited dance, at which Drake rolled his eyes.

They all dipped their spoons in at the same time. The bisque was incredibly flavorful and still pleasantly warm. It was perfect for this cold weather.

Drake said what they were all thinking, “This is actually really good.”

“I’m in lobster heaven,” Hana moaned in delight.

“Solid work, Addams,” said Drake, high fiving her. She returned it so enthusiastically his hand stung, but he still grinned at her.

“Yes! Thank you, Riley! We’d be lost without you!” Hana touched Riley’s forearm and the latter put her hand over hers. 

“Aw thanks guys. I’m sure the rest of the food will show up soon, anyway...”

“In the meantime, we could play a game!” Hana proposed eagerly.

“Do we have to?”

“Oh, come on, Drake, don’t be such a bummer!” Riley pushed him playfully.

“Okay, okay, I’m outnumbered. So what’s the game?”

“Two truths and a lie?” said Hana hopefully.

“I don’t know it.”

“Really? You never went to summer camp or something like that?” asked Riley. “Wait, don’t answer that, you can use it for the game. It’s really simple: you tell us two truths and one lie about yourself and then we have to guess which is the lie.”

“Got it. You start, Hana.”

“Oh, um, okay. I am an award-winning horseback rider, I am an award-winning painter and I am an award-winning skater.”

Drake and Riley turned to look at each other and burst out laughing.

“Seriously?!” Riley asked between laughs. “That’s impossible! You’re an award-winning  _everything!_  Are you sure you remembered to lie?”

Hana giggled, “I’m not! I did tell a lie! Now, guess.”

Drake and Riley’s laughs subsided and they looked at each other thoughtfully.

“I’ve seen you skate and I’m pretty sure there has to be a freaking move named after you so that’s not a lie... I’m gonna say you’re not a horseback rider, because painting seems more... you,” Drake guessed.

“Drake, Drake, Drake,” said Riley, mimicking Drake’s pitying head shakes from yesterday, “that’s where you’re wrong. You, my friend, are underestimating Hana. I think you are a skater  _and_  a horseback rider.”

“Ding, ding, ding! Riley’s right!”

Drake groaned while Riley cheered.

“Come on, Drake, painting is clearly a more recreational activity! I was obviously not allowed to practice it as much.”

“Right... obviously.”

“Okay, your turn,” Hana chirped.

“Wait! Before we go on: Drake, how would you feel about making things more interesting?” Riley arched an eyebrow at him.

“Triple or nothing?”

“You know it.”

“Two out of three of Hana’s.”

“Yep. And you’re already losing.”

Drake glared at her. “All right, here we go. I used to be scared of clowns...” Riley sniggered at this. “ _Used to,”_ Drake emphasized. “I was a Boy Scout and... my first concert was Hayley Rose.”

“What!” Riley snorted.

“Shut up,” Drake said, laughing along with her.

“Well that’s definitely true. You wouldn’t be so embarrassed if it weren’t. For the record, no judgment here.”

“Nor from me,” piped up Hana. “Mainly because... I don’t know her music.” They laughed harder then, and Riley promised to show her the best Hayley Rose songs and tell her the grisly details of her life.

“Right, so I don’t think you were ever scared of clowns, Drake. I can’t imagine you not being cynical even as a child,” shrugged Hana.

“Once again, I am the best at this game. Clearly Drake didn’t  _use_  to be afraid of clowns...  _he never stopped!_ ” said Riley dramatically. “You were never a Boy Scout.”

Drake sighed, “As much as it pains me to say this... Addams is right. About the second part, I’m not afraid of clowns anymore.”

“Sure you’re not,” Riley replied with a sly smile.

“Your turn, wise guy,” said Drake.

“Okay, here goes. My favorite food is sushi, I went to a Hayley Rose concert too, and I had never been outside the US before this.”

“Easy, you’d never left the US.”

Riley gave Drake a curious look. “And why do you say that?”

He shrugged, “I know how hard it can be to travel for us commoners.”

“I disagree. I think Riley is very cultured.”

“Oh, ‘cause a commoner can’t be cultured?”

“Drake, that’s not what I–”

“Okaaay, what’s your guess, Hana?” Riley interrupted, trying to diffuse the tension.

“I don’t think your favorite food is sushi.”

“But it is! Sorry, Hana, Drake’s right. This is my first time out of the US!”

“Oh! Well, I never would have guessed, you’ve handled it really well...”

Drake let the conversation fade out until it was Hana’s turn again. After a few more turns, Hana had beat them both, but Drake had beat Riley, which was all that mattered. 

“Quadruple or nothing, Drake.”

Drake laughed and before he could answer, Hana let out a sigh, “Wow... the service here is terrible.”

“All by design,” he replied. As soon as he’d stopped laughing, his hunger had caught up with him... and it brought his temper along.

“Even if it’s on purpose, at least it’s not the worst service I’ve had,” started Hana.

“You’ve had worse service than this?” asked Riley, her eyes bugging out.

“Believe it or not, I’ve been to a wedding where food wasn’t served until  _midnight_. They got hideously behind schedule and decided to do an open call for speeches before dinner. It took hours!”

“Oh, heavens!” exclaimed Drake in a high-pitched voice. He knew that was unnecessarily rude, but she started it with the whole commoner thing a _nd_  he was hungry; personally, he felt he was doing an admirable job of keeping it together.

Riley disagreed. She shot him a reproachful look, “Drake.”

He chose to ignore her. “I can tell you a real horror story. Let’s set the scene. Casual get-together. Lots of people I don’t know, but that’s fine. There’s a bar, man’s true best friend. So I figure I’ll grab a drink. I go up to the bar,  _and they’re out of whiskey!_ ” He looked at them both in turn, trying to convey the horror.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Drake, I could use some whiskey now.”

She might have been referring to how stupid his story was, but Drake decided to take it as agreement. "Now you’re speaking my language. But these dinners usually only come with some fancy wine and champagne.”

“And I have a feeling that we’d be lucky to even get  _water_  at this point,” frowned Hana.

“It’s too bad we probably won’t see a  _real_  drink at dinner. From what I’ve seen, Olivia’s got quite a stash,” shared Drake, remembering the cavernous cellar he’d found before taking his walk outside.

“From what you’ve seen?” Hana raised an inquiring eyebrow.

“I did some exploring, and I happened to stumble across her wine cellar.”

“Really?” Riley’s eyes widened; she seemed excited by the idea.

Encouraged, Drake continued, “Yeah. It’s pretty impressive, actually, and not a bad place to get away from all of this for awhile.” Before his brain caught up with his mouth, he found himself saying, “Why don’t you join me there for a drink tonight, Addams? If you’re not afraid of sneaking out after hours...”

As Riley opened her mouth to answer, a waiter dropped off two more bowls of bisque. Despite her silence, Drake didn’t think she was the type to back down from a challenge, or so he hoped. 

_I have a bad feeling about this. If she says no, it’s gonna suck, and if she says yes... Whatever, I’m doing this for Liam after all, keeping her entertained and all that stuff he said. Plus, he said he’s gonna spend more time with her starting tomorrow so this is the last time I gotta do this._

He suddenly didn’t feel that hungry anymore.

“There’s no lobster in my bowl. It’s just... bisque. This is the saddest soup I’ve ever seen.” Hana sounded almost like she pitied the food.

For once, Drake wholeheartedly agreed, “I’m not usually one to complain about free food, but this is ice cold compared to what we had earlier. Which means Olivia did this on purpose.”

He had a few more spoonfuls before deciding he really couldn’t stomach any more. “At least we got to have a taste of the  _real_  meal, thanks to Riley’s quick thinking!” He shook her shoulder affectionately.

Riley slapped his hand away and took a bow. “And we know that Olivia’s intentionally screwing with us.”

As if summoned, Olivia’s voice came high and clear from the dance floor;  Drake tuned out most of her little speech, but the gist was it was time for the waltz.

Hana looked devastated. “But we haven’t finished eating!

Drake grimaced sympathetically. If there’s something he could bond over, it was disliking Olivia Nevrakis. “I don’t think she cares.”

“Well...” Riley stood up and extended both arms towards Drake and Hana, respectively, “let’s do this.”

Hana grabbed her hand, looking a lot happier than before, and stood up. When Drake didn’t do the same, she asked, “Aren’t you joining us, Drake?”

At that moment, Drake couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than to know that stupid waltz. 

_Who the hell am I right now?_

“Waltzing isn’t my thing. I’ll be here with the... food,” he finished awkwardly. Riley shrugged, frowning a little, while Hana waved goodbye before heading to the dance floor.

Hana went off to dance with some lord Drake couldn’t place, and Riley paired up with Maxwell. He supposed at this point, he shouldn’t be surprised that Riley went through the waltz practically flawlessly, in spite of it being her first time dancing it. He still shook his head in astonishment. _Is she good at_ everything _?_

The waltz was over sooner than he’d expected. The music lulled and there was a noise – softer than a gasp, more like a collective intake of breath. He searched the dance floor for the cause of the noise and saw Olivia kissing Liam. Before he even knew what he was doing – or why, for that matter – he had found Riley’s face in the crowd. She looked stricken. Other than that, she didn’t react much, but it was enough.

He stormed out.

_How dare Liam do this?! How does he go from being all googly-eyed over Addams, to fucking her over like this? He keeps going on about duty, but I doubt his duties include exchanging spit with fucking Chucky over there. How do you even choose Olivia over Addams anyway? It’s a no-brainer._

He realized his body had taken him to his room while his mind was busy railing against Liam. He snatched a bottle of whiskey from his bag and went down to the wine cellar.

After pouring himself a drink and taking a few sips, he’d calmed down enough to recognize that Liam had almost definitely not initiated or even encouraged the kiss. It wasn’t really his fault... for the most part. Yet he still felt irritated.

_That face she made... I guess I don’t want Addams to be disappointed. She deserves better._

He heard footsteps coming downstairs. 

_S_ _peak of the Devil._

His stomach did a weird flip.

_It’s probably ‘cause I didn’t end up eating much._

Riley poked her head around the corner. She saw him and grinned, that mischievous look in her eyes, and walked the rest of the way down.

“There you are, Addams. I was beginning to think you didn’t have the guts to show. Y’know, breaking the rules, out after curfew and all that.”

For a second, she looked like she was going to say something snarky, her hand on her hip; then she dropped it and softened her smile. “Actually, I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

It was like Drake got the wind knocked out of him. 

_Who says that? Is that what friends say?_

He felt the stupidest grin spread across his face. “Aw, come on, Addams. You’re gonna make me blush.”

Riley smirked, “Now that I’d like to see.”

Drake tried not to think about how close she’d already come to seeing it and changed the subject, “So, what’re you drinking?”

“What’ve you got?”

“Nothing yet. It seems like Olivia has a  _very_ extensive collection of fine Cordonian wines. I’m no expert, but from the names I recognize, nothing in here’s under a thousand dollars!”

Riley got that rule-breaking twinkle in her eyes again, “You want to drink Olivia’s wine? Pass me a bottle! She’s got so many bottles here, she’ll probably never even notice!”

As much as Drake loved that idea, and loved that she came up with it, he didn’t want her to get in trouble. Olivia was already unpleasant to her, to say the least. “Before you pop something open, I also brought a bottle of whiskey down for myself... but I’d share it with you. So pick your poison.”

Riley didn’t hesitate, “Whiskey.”

Drake nodded approvingly and poured her and himself a glass. They were about to clink glasses when Riley said, “Wait, we have to make eye contact, otherwise it’s 7 years of bad sex.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I don’t make the rules.”

“You literally just did.”

“Fine, if you wanna risk it that’s on you, but I’m gonna look you in the eye, got it?”

“Okay, I’ll do it,” grumbled Drake. “This is stupid, for the record.”

“You’re welcome for saving your sex life.”

“Cheers.”

They clinked their glasses while looking fixedly into each other’s eyes, both smiling at first. They gradually got serious and the silence seemed to become loaded. Drake was the first to look away.

“So,” said Riley a little awkwardly. “You came down to the wine cellar to drink whiskey? Doesn’t that seem a little silly?”

Drake shrugged, “I came down here to get a little commoner time by myself where I don’t have to bow and kiss hands for a few minutes.”

“Drake, if you hate the nobility so much, why do you stick around?”

Funnily enough, no one had ever asked him that question. He stalled, “It must seem ridiculous to you.”

Riley put her hand on her hip. “To be honest, it seems like you complain a lot for getting a free ride.”

Drake’s mouth dropped. He knew a lot of people thought that, hell, some even said it to his face, but they did it to hurt him, not because they were being honest. 

“That’s...” He laughed a little, “I guess that’s kind of true... I would’ve left a long time ago, but Liam needs me. I know he’s got nobles and courtiers all around him, but most of them would stab him in the back if they thought they could profit from it. I’ve seen so many underhanded moves that I don’t trust any of them anymore.” He remembered the stupid tabloid pictures and the practically nonexistent likelihood that they were being sold by a stranger. “And these are from our  _friends_! And this latest one...”

“What happened?” Riley asked, concern lacing her voice.

 _I need to learn to shut up. Especially around Addams._  

“I... I’m not sure I should tell you. It’s still being resolved.”

“You’re always saying I need to watch out... it’d be nice to actually know what for.”

Again, she hit the nail on the head. It was only fair. “You remember Liam’s bachelor party?”

“Of course.”

“We found out that someone close to us that night was trying to sell pictures to the tabloids.”

Riley’s eyes widened, incredulous. “But who? Who would do that?”

Drake frowned. “We haven’t tracked down the source yet, but I just got a message from Bastien that we were able to buy the photos back before they were printed.”

Riley tilted her head. “Call me crazy, but I don’t remember anything scandalous happening...”

“You know how the tabloids are.” Drake shook his head. “A picture with a drink in his hand, and suddenly the crown prince of Cordonia is on a drunken rager. And then there’s pictures of the two of you together.”

“What? But we weren’t...” Riley trailed off, blushing.

“The two of you were talking, and he was clearly interested in you. That’s enough for them to speculate on. What was the headline the tabloid was going to run? ‘Prince Liam’s Drunken Fling Before the Ring!’”

Riley put her hand over her mouth. “And you have no idea who would do this?”

“Not really. There are a lot of people who would be desperate for those photos... I just hope it wasn’t one of the guys. The pictures they had... Those would’ve been hard to take unless that person were someone close to us...”

If anything good was going to come out of this mess, he was relieved that Riley was probably going to be more cautious. She said, “Drake, I’ll watch out.” And touched his arm reassuringly.

“Good. Money and power make people do crazy things, Addams. I just don’t want to see you get hurt because of it,” he said earnestly.

She gave him a soft smile, touched that he cared, “Drake...”

“I mean, sometimes, I look at you... and I see this wide-eyed baby deer who just stumbled into the hunter’s campsite.” He ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing with everything that could go wrong.

He was interrupted by Riley saying, “A baby deer? So you think I’m cute?” She gave him a teasing smile.

The honest answer was yes, he’d literally thought that yesterday, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. His brain jammed, “That’s not what I... er...”

Riley bit her lip to keep from laughing as she paced in front of him, “My, my, seems like for once you’re speechless.”

“Your unique talent, Addams, seems to be putting me in my place.”

“ _Someone’s_  gotta do it.”

Drake laughed loudly. When she joined in, the sound of her laughter sobered him up and he looked at her with intensity. “What is it about you? You’re so frustrating, but...”

“But?”

 _I keep coming back. I want more._  

He was terrified.

He shook his head, “Forget it. How about a toast, instead?” He raised his glass towards her.

“What’re we toasting to?”

He thought about it. How could he explain what this little getaway – their last one – meant to him without saying something stupid? “To the moments in between.”

“Huh?”

“All the nobles think about are the big events. The grand balls, the press appearances, the banquets...” He thought about Liam and his face fell for a split second. He used to spend moments like this with him a lot more often. He couldn’t help but feel that, despite all of his wealth and upbringing, he was missing out on a lot.

“They don’t even realize that the moments that matter the most are all the ones they’re missing. Moments like right now, just the two of us and some cheap whiskey. The ones that really mean something.” It was too late to take it back, but he didn’t want to be presumptuous; for all he knew, she had nothing better to do or just wanted whiskey. “At least, it means something to me, anyway.”

She was much closer than he’d realized. She looked up at him and said, so sincerely, “Drake, it means something to me too.”

Wordlessly, they raised they glasses and clinked them. This time looking each other in the eye not because of superstition, but because they wanted to.

As they brought their respective glasses to their lips, Drake said, “To the moments in between.”

They finished their drink and Drake looked at his phone. He should go. He was glad he’d made their last moment in between a good one, at least.

“Now, it’s getting late, and I don’t want to get you in any trouble.”

Riley gave him a small smile, “That’s so thoughtful of you.”

“I’m a gentleman, even if not one by birth.” He bowed at her and smiled back. “G’night, Addams.”

“Good night, Drake.”


	9. Race to the Finish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boat racing!

Now _this_  was a day Drake had looked forward to! He strolled along the marina, wearing a thin white cotton t-shirt, enjoying the gentle breeze tickling his face and the briny tang in the air. 

Boating was one of the few things that made him feel like himself and, even better, he didn’t have Liam to compare himself to because he hated sailing so much. The corner of his lips quirked up as he remembered his and Liam’s first and only attempt at sailing as teens.

It had been Drake’s idea, of course, eager as ever to get away from the palace and stuck up noble’s taunts. Liam had agreed readily enough, though, after a day full of boring meetings. The King and Queen must have known, even then, that Leo abdicating was a possibility and had insisted Liam receive the same education. They might have hoped Leo would yield his position, in fact; it didn’t take a genius to know the difference between the half-brothers’ temperaments made Liam far more suitable for the throne.

“Are you sure they won’t catch us?” At thirteen, Liam was already very tall, but the usual awkwardness that accompanies this stage seemed to have spared him.

“Positive. My dad told me he would be training the new recruits today, so no one will even come near the marina!” Drake was even taller than Liam, and skinnier. He, unfortunately, did move with the clumsiness that comes from not recognizing your own body. He wasn’t nearly self-conscious enough to be embarrassed, though. Actually, he was a lot freer or somehow... lighter back then. He didn’t have that much of a chip on his shoulder yet.

Liam got on the boat while Drake untied it from the pier and hopped on after. 

“You ready?”

Liam nodded excitedly. Drake unfurled the sails and set them off. He occasionally gave Liam, who was less experienced, instructions, which he followed diligently. It felt good to be the captain, for once.

The wind suddenly died down and they took the opportunity to dangle their legs off the boat. Taking in the view, they dipped their toes in the frigid water, which was a relief in the humid heat. They were still relatively close to the shore, but if they looked in the opposite direction, they could pretend they were out at sea, just the two of them, no court, no responsibilites...

“Drake, do you think I could be a good king?”

Drake turned to look at his best friend who was gazing intently into the water.

“What makes you ask that?”

“I don’t know. I’m second in the line of succession, it could happen.”

“Do you want it to?”

“I’m not sure... I think I do. I want to help Cordonia somehow and if I am not king, then what can I do? That is all I’ve been taught.”

“Calm down, Simba, I’m sure you could find ways to help even if you’re never king.”

Liam shoved him at that, laughing. “Fine, but you haven’t answered the question.”

“Shit, I don’t know, man.”

Liam grimaced and Drake continued hurriedly. “I mean, I  _can’t_  know, ya know? But if you’re as good at being king as you are at being a person, then sure.”

“You think I’m a good person?” Liam smiled.

“Duh. I wouldn’t be here with you if I didn’t... A good person for a noble, obviously.”

“And you’re not too bad for a commoner.” 

The usual insult lost all its bite when accompanied by Liam’s kind smile, but Drake splashed him nonetheless.

“Hey!” Liam splashed him back.

This continued until they were both soaked and had swallowed more than their fair share of ocean water. They were so absorbed, they didn’t notice the sky growing ominously darker. Not, that is, until they felt drops falling from above.

“Uh oh,” said Drake. 

They both immediately stood up, and Drake set about trying to turn the boat around. The storm was worsening by the second. Gusts of wind buffeted the boat and their small bodies, almost pushing them around. The sails snapped and flapped uncontrollably. Untied ropes flew around and the fixed ones were taut with tension. Drake tried hard not to panic.

Suddenly, he heard a loud knock. It happened so fast, he almost missed the boom hitting Liam and him falling to the water like a rag doll. 

“Liam!”

Drake’s teeth were chattering, from fear or cold, he wasn’t sure, but he imagined it was a bit of both. Before he could talk himself out of it somehow, he jumped in after Liam, roughly around the spot he’d fallen. By the time he reemerged, Liam had, too. He instantly felt stupid for jumping in.

_It’s not like he can’t swim._

They both got back on the boat with much effort. Drake hoisting himself up and then pulling Liam on board. They sat for a few seconds, panting. 

“You-you saved my life,” said Liam between pants.

“Don’t be stupid,” answered Drake but a proud smile was spreading on his face, “it’s not like you can’t swim.”

“Still. You didn’t even hesitate.”

“Yeah, well, you’d do the same for me, right?”

“I would.”

Liam clapped Drake gratefully on the back. The storm showed no signs of slowing down, so Drake got to his feet decisively.

“Okay, Liam, we need to–”

At that moment, a powerful blast of wind caught the side of the boat and capsized it. Drake resurfaced and looked around for Liam, who’d fallen just a little farther. Drake gestured to him to swim closer. They attempted to right the boat, but the combined forces of two thirteen-year-olds were not enough.

Resigned to their fate, they swam the rest of the way back pushing the boat, hoping against hope they would make it back before they were missed. Sadly, when your best friend is a prince and second in the line of succession, the window of opportunity is pretty narrow, so they had a very angry group indeed waiting for them at the shore.

The subsequent scoldings and punishments were among the harshest either of them had ever suffered, but Drake couldn’t help but smile at the memory now. Oddly, the parts he remembered most vividly about that day weren’t the terror of the storm or the different, but no less awful terror of disappointing their parents. What he remembered most was feeling capable and brave, and like he was a good friend, for once.

He’d been wandering aimlessly up and down the pier during his stroll down memory lane. A low buzz had started growing louder and louder as more nobles arrived for today’s event. Drake sighed heavily, knowing that was all the alone time he’d be getting today. He looked towards the opposite end of the pier, where the suitors and Liam were being surrounded by the press. He caught a glimpse of Riley as she smiled brightly at the reporters, no doubt wowing them as she had done so far. 

He hadn’t noticed he had stopped, but he found himself straining his ears trying to catch a snippet of what she was saying. All he could hear was the cadence of her voice, occasionally mixed with Liam’s, who was standing next to her. She then stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam on the cheek. His eyes unfocused and he stood there, not seeing anything. After a few seconds, he became vaguely aware that something was bothering him.

“Drake absolutely loooves nobles! In fact, there’s nothing he likes better, except maybe mai tais. You hear that everyone?! Drake drinks mai tais, Drake drinks mai tais, DRAKE DRINKS–!”

He turned around furiously and slapped his hand on Maxwell’s mouth.

“Shut up. I  _do not_ drink mai tais.”

Maxwell licked his hand. 

“Ugh! What are you? Twelve?” Drake said disgustedly, wiping his hand on Maxwell’s shirt as the latter laughed.

“Twelve  _and a half_.” He looked at Drake confusedly. “Did you seriously not hear me? I was trying to get your attention for, like, a full minute.”

“I must’ve learned how to tune you out.”

Maxwell let out a great laugh. “HA HA! There’s that classic Drake humor, love it!”

“What do you want?”

“Want? Why would you–” Drake glared at him and Maxwell relented. “Fine, I need a favor.”

“What now Maxwell? I’ll remind you I already said no to being in your dance crew.”

“Oh I’ll get you someday, but it’s not about that! Well, it _is_  a crew, but a different kind... The thing is our boat crew, uh, bailed on us.”

“What? Why?”

Maxwell mumbled something. 

“What did you say? Speak up, dude!”

“Money troubles! We’re having money troubles, okay? Please don’t tell anyone, Bertrand would go ballistic.”

Drake shrugged. “Of course I won’t, man. You forget, I’m the only one here who has actually been through this.”

“You never know, nobles are just better at hiding it.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s easy to hide it when you already have expensive shit to show off.”

“Touché. Anyway, I remember you used to like boats so I was wondering if you could help out?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t been on a boat for a while and–”

“Pleeease?” Maxwell whined. “It would mean so much to me and Riley! She doesn’t even know about this yet, but she’s gonna be so disappointed if we don’t get to race.”

“On second thought, it could be fun to sail again,” Drake agreed quickly, or, as he’d tell himself later, reluctantly.

He and Maxwell boarded the yacht, getting everything ready for Riley. She caught up with them not long after. She waved at Maxwell with a small smile and then grinned as she spotted Drake. He came forward to greet her and tripped on a rope. Riley sniggered and he glared at her.

“Drake? What are you doing here?” She turned towards Maxwell, “Maxwell, didn’t you leave with Bertrand? And shouldn’t there be other people? Like... an actual crew?” She looked around the boat, as if expecting the crew to be hiding.

“Yeah,  _Maxwell_.” Drake pushed him forward. “What happened?”

“Well...” He rubbed the back of his neck, stalling. “I have good news and bad news.”

Riley crossed her arms, bracing herself. “Tell me the bad news first.”

Maxwell sighed in defeat. “The bad news is that the actual crew dropped out... Something about not paying upfront?” He grimaced. “But good news... you still  _have_  a crew. In fact, Drake volunteered to help out!” He clapped Drake’s back.

“He ‘volunteered’?” Riley raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Drake smirked. “Maxwell begged me.”

“I thought I was rather dignified,” he defended himself.

“Practically in tears, actually.” Drake’s smirk grew wider as Riley laughed, her eyes crinkling. 

“And you both... know about sailing?”

“I used to  _own_  several boats, and Drake is an excellent boatman!” explained Maxwell enthusiastically.

“From what I hear, you’re terrible with boats!” Riley pointed an accusing finger at Drake. “I just heard a story about a capsized boat from Liam that says Drake isn’t.”

“He told you about that?” 

Of course he told her. He was surprised he was as disappointed as he felt. 

_Liam told it all wrong, though! From what Addams said, he told it like it sucked! I mean, yeah, it was scary but it was a cool adventure... Of course Liam would mostly remember how worried everyone was ‘cause he’s considerate and not an asshole like I am._

Sure, it was a good story that he would’ve enjoyed telling Riley... or anyone, for that matter, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“Okay, that was bad, but after that whole mess, I decided I’d spend a summer learning how to sail properly...” It had been a good one, too. He’d gone out with his dad every weekend, often joined by Savannah and even their mom, sometimes. 

He looked at Riley seriously. “Trust me, you’re in good hands.” She smiled softly and he cleared his throat. “At least mine. Can’t speak for Maxwell.”

“Hey!” he said indignantly.

“Wait, what about Bertrand? Why isn’t he here?” asked Riley.

“His words were, and I quote,” Maxwell swelled his chest importantly in a convincing impression of his older bother, “ _‘Have we fallen so far? Is this what becomes of House Ramsford?’_  And then he muttered something about ruin and reducing our name to rubble and then I  _hope_  he went to get a drink or something after that.” Maxwell shrugged helplessly.

Riley giggled. “Sounds about right. What about Tariq? He looks like a guy who could sail a boat.”

_Is she serious?! Just when I thought she wasn’t that naive._

Drake burst out laughing, “HA HA ha ha haa.”

Riley scowled at him which only made him laugh harder. “It was only a thought.”

Drake clutched his middle, breathing deeply, and slowly stopped laughing. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry to say, Addams, you’re not going to be cruising around like the other ladies. You’re going to have to do some work to help us win. I hope you’re up to the job.”

Riley put her hands on her hips at this, challenging. “Drake, only if YOU can keep up.”

Drake raised an eyebrow. “You’re on, Addams.”

Drake bustled around the boat, tying the last ropes before untying the yacht from the pier.

“Casting off!”

He unfurled the sails and automatically turned his head to see if Riley had been looking. It might have been his ego, but he thought her smile seemed like she was impressed. His chest felt warm.

From their right, Hana waved at them and shouted, “Good luck to you both!”

_Both? Oh, ugh._

Olivia’s boat was to their left. She replied with, “I don’t need luck. I know I’m going to win! I hope you both like  _losing_!”

_Great comeback. What an idiot._

He rolled his eyes at Riley, who shook her head sympathetically. She got a determined look on her face. “Maxwell, how do we win this thing?”

Maxwell cheered and Drake wondered at her, feeling almost as proud as if they’d already won the race. “Riley, you’ll be watching the wind indicator for us. Whenever it shifts, tell us, so we can adjust the sails.”

Riley nodded competently and Drake added, “We’ll tell you what else needs to be done as it comes.”

“Sounds doable...” She gave him a small smile that wanted to be confident. He returned it, hoping to reassure her.

Maxwell looked toward the pier, where King Constantine stood with the royal family and the press. “Looks like the race is about to start!”

“Racers, ready!” King Constantine boomed. He put his arm up, pistol in hand.

"Here we go...” Drake said. Riley grabbed his arm and shook it in anticipation. He chuckled. He was about to ruffle her hair when the sound of a gunshot tore through the charged atmosphere.

They barely heard King Constantine’s “And go!” as they all hurried to their posts. Olivia’s boat was off faster than he cared for, but he trusted his skills, if not his companions’. 

_Slow and steady wins the race._

He realized he was staring at Riley and shook his head, continuing his tasks.

Olivia yelled back at them, “I’ll be waiting at the finish line!”

“Hell no. No way carrot top is beating us.”

"NO WAY,” Riley echoed and fist-bumped him. He laughed a little. 

_What a dork._

“Hold it steady,” Drake reminded her.

“The wind changed!” Riley shouted.

“Adjusting sails!” Maxwell called back. He did so then went to Riley. “Hey, Riley, tie this down for us! We need to hold the sail in place!”

“Oh, um, okay,” she said half excited, half nervous.

Drake kept a discreet eye on her, not wanting her to think he didn’t trust her to do it right, but also wanting to stay in the race. He shouldn’t have worried, of course; Riley tied the rope with a sturdy sailor’s knot and stepped back to survey her work with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

“Perfect.”

“It’s okay. Barely in the top five knots I’ve seen in my life,” Drake teased.

“What! I think it’s amazing! But I guess you could say it’s... knot bad,” she replied with a cheesy smile. “Get it?”

“God, Addams!” He shook his head at her, only just keeping his laughter in. “That was terrible! You’ve been spending too much time with Maxwell!”

“Well, you’re never around!” she said reproachfully.

He opened his mouth to reply, though he had no idea what to say to that. 

_Does she_ want  _to spend more time with me?_

He was saved by Maxwell, who suddenly yelled from up front,“There’s the halfway point! We just have to turn around the buoy and head back to the finish line!”

Drake whipped his head to the front and realized, “We’re coming in too fast! Brace yourself!”

The boat turned sharply to the right, skimming the water. Drake saw Maxwell grab on to a rope and did the same. He turned to look at Riley anxiously, but she seemed to have an iron grip on the rigging, and he felt his breath return. The boat righted itself and they smoothly circumvented the buoy.

Riley let out a sigh of relief. Drake gave her a soft pat in the back and encouraged her, “Let’s keep going. We’re almost there.”

“Wind’s picking up in our favor!” Maxwell informed them.

“Back to stations!” Drake barked. “Addams, secure the jib.”

“And that means to...?” she bit her lip uncertainly and Drake softened his tone.

“Catch the wind coming from behind us!”

“Aye, aye, captain,” she saluted him and followed his instructions, allowing them to finally overtake Olivia’s boat.

“What?!” Drake heard her say. “Make the boat go faster!” she yelled at her crew, to no avail. Their boat had picked up an unstoppable momentum and it would’ve taken a miracle to overtake them. They crossed the finish line with a comfortable lead.

“We did it!” Riley cheered, jumping up and down.

“Wooohooo!!!” Maxwell ran around the yacht with his arms in the air.

“You really pulled through for us, Addams,” Drake said, giving her a one-armed friendly hug. She pushed him off to hug him from the front enthusiastically. 

_Well, what the hell._

He hugged her back and lifted her off the ground. He heard clapping and saw King Constantine and Liam waiting for them on the pier. He put Riley down so fast she almost fell down.

He cleared his throat again. “Um, nice work.”

“Yeah, you too. I mean, I couldn’t–  _we_  couldn’t have done it without you.”

He nodded at her and gestured for her to get off the boat first. She made a beeline towards Liam. After a short conversation, she left with Hana, while Liam made his way over to him.

“Where’s Maxwell?”

“I think he went to go talk to Bertrand or something.”

“That was some sailing, my friend.” Liam claps him on the back.

“Thanks. I’ve definitely improved since we were kids, huh? Addams thought I’d still be as bad.”

They start walking together towards the royal yacht to see the regatta.

“Ha, well of course you have! I hope you didn’t mind I told her that story, I was just explaining why I don’t care for boats.”

“Oh. That story is the reason you don’t like sailing?” Drake tried to keep the hurt from his voice.

Liam put his hand on his shoulder. 

_Damn it, he knows me too well._

“I didn’t mean it that way, Drake. It’s actually one of my fondest memories! We were having such a good time before the storm... And it serves as a reminder of why you are my best friend.”

“You need reminders, huh?”

“Constantly, when you’re being a pain in my... rear.”

“Oh, come on, man! Just say it once!”

“I won’t! You know how I have to watch what I say! Even more so now...” Liam grimaced and stopped abruptly, staring pensively at his feet.

“What do you mean now?”

“Are you joking?”

“I mean, unless I suddenly became Tariq and lost all sense of humor, no. What kind of joke would that be?”

They resumed walking.

“Did you not hear my father’s announcement?”

“Nope.”

Liam shook his head at him. “Well, the main point of it was that he is abdicating once the social season is over.”

“WHAT! But that’s so soon! So does that mean–?”

“Yes. I will be king that soon and I am no longer choosing a wife that’ll s _omeday_  be queen. I am choosing our immediate queen.”

“Shit.” That was really all Drake could say. 

_King. That is a tall fucking order. You could not pay me enough to do it, man. Nothing in the world could make me want to be a noble. Not now, not ever. On the other hand, all these girls are gonna be throwing themselves at Liam even more now._

He cracked his knuckles, feeling the urge to punch something.

“I was hoping you’d have more to say...” prompted Liam. Drake realized he’d been quiet for way too long. They arrived at the yacht, which allowed Drake to stall a little longer. As soon as they were on, though, Liam was looking expectantly at him, not even glancing at the race, which was starting.

“I mean, what do you want me to say, man? You seem overwhelmed, but I know this is what you want. So just hold on to that, okay? You can finally help Cordonia, like you’ve always wanted.”

“Right, but what about the suitors?”

“What about them?”

“Now that it is not hypothetical anymore, I believe more than ever I have to put Cordonia’s interests before my heart’s wishes...”

“Well...” The words didn’t seem to want to leave Drake’s mouth, so it took him a second to wrest them out. “What if you could do both?”

“What are you saying?”

“Look, we all know you care about Riley, okay? And like I said the other day, she would make a decent– no, scratch that, a helluva queen. So there you go.”

A waiter passed bearing drinks and Drake blindly snatched two. He’d already drank half of the first in one gulp, when he became aware that the normal thing to do would be to give Liam the second one. He parted with it unwillingly.

“Thank you. And you’re right, as usual. I do not think it’s as simple as that, but there is hope. I just wish there was some way to show her how much she means to me, without giving too much away before the season’s over...”

Liam snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it! The beach party!”

“What about it?” asked Drake monotonously.

“We could ask the chefs to serve something American, to remind her of home and make her feel more at ease. The problem is... what?”

Drake instantly remembered one of Riley’s truths in Two Truths and a Lie being that sloppy joes were her favorite American dish. “Uh, I’m sure I could think of something... You know, being half American and all.”

“Of course! Thank you, Drake! Once again, you’ve helped me more than you know. Someday I’ll have to repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Drake waved his thanks aside and strode cheerfully towards the exit.


	10. Beach Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title is pretty self-explanatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last bit is an entire Parks & Rec quote because it fit perfectly and that scene is hilarious.

After a brief talk with the caterers, Drake headed back to the yacht, walking leisurely. He couldn’t wait to see Riley’s face when she saw the surprise he –  _Liam_ , he corrected himself mentally – had planned for her. The race was almost over by the time he got back, but he didn’t mind; he’d much rather do the sailing than watch.

“Did everything go well?” asked Liam, a nearly empty glass of champagne in his hand, as soon as Drake appeared beside him.

“Yeah, we’re all set.”

“Thanks, Drake. Oh, I’ve been meaning to give you some good news.”

“Really? What is it?”

“In fact, I just realized it’s two! One for you and one for me.” Liam smiled dazzlingly. 

“Well, don’t just stand there smiling like Cordonia depends on it! Spit it out!”

Liam chuckled. “Fine. You really have no patience at all, you know that?” When Drake looked like he might shake him if he didn’t get on with it, he continued, “I noticed a certain Lady Kiara looking over at you before the races. Not only that, but when she saw me looking, she asked about you. She seemed like she hoped to spend time with you at the beach party...” Liam waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“How can I get you to stop doing that? Forever?” Drake rolled his eyes at him. 

He was slightly alarmed to find he only felt the tiniest twinge of excitement after finding out that one of the hottest ladies in court wanted to “spend time” with him. 

_What the hell?_

Liam laughed, then asked, “So, will you look for her at the party?”

“I don’t know, man. Sure, it’s an ego boost but I think I’d rather spend time with Aaa... –r friends. Uh, our friends.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably, relieved he’d caught himself on time and panicked he’d nearly said that at all.

“Oh. I thought you liked her but, of course, if that is what you wish to do, then I hope you have fun. Speaking of which...” Liam got that starry-eyed look he had whenever he talked about Riley and which Drake had come to dread. “Remember I said I wanted to spend more time with Riley?”

“I sure do!” Drake answered, too loudly.

“Well, that is my other good news: I plan on starting at the beach party! I have planned a romantic hike for us. I am hoping to show her how beautiful Cordonia’s nature can be. What do you think? Do you think she’ll say yes?”

Liam looked so anxious that Drake almost felt for him... Almost.

“Liam, it’s you. You could ask a girl to go dumpster-diving and she would be knee-deep in it, no questions asked.”

Liam shook his head. “Always exaggerating. But I will take that as a vote of confidence.”

“It is. There is no way you could... fail.” Drake could not understand why he felt choked up all of a sudden.  _Must be the heat._

“I will drink to that,” said Liam with a smile, draining the last gulp of champagne from his glass. “And it seems the race is over. You go on ahead to the beach party, I need to find my father.”

“Cool, see you later. Good luck on your, um, date.”

Drake left before Liam could thank him for anything else. It was a short walk from the royal yacht to the private beach where the party was going to be held, yet he still found it almost unbearable. The heat was definitely stifling, but his level of discomfort was off the charts. He felt itchy all over and at the same time like he wanted someone to punch him. 

_Huh, that’s a new one, I usually prefer to do the punching._

He had been so absorbed by his vaguely angry thoughts he hadn’t noticed he was practically there. A few feet ahead he saw several long picnic tables and small groups of people milling about. He spotted his friends at the back and his gaze was drawn straight to Riley, who looked lovely and vibrant in a white bikini with a turquoise beach wrap covering most of it. 

_Damn._

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there or even how long he would have stayed if the sand hadn’t started burning his feet. 

_Get it together. What is wrong with you? I’m fine... I’m fine. The only reason I noticed Addams first was ‘cause of the bright colors. Or maybe I’m having a heatstroke._

Drake was probably the only person who had ever though that and felt relieved. Having regained his composure, he walked to the picnic table nearest to his friends, who had been trying the fancy seafood canapés. Hana seemed completely at ease, but the same could not be said about Maxwell and Riley, who both looked like they were wishing they could eat anything else.

Drake announced his presence with the best news they could have hoped for, “I hope you all came hungry because the real food has arrived.” He smiled and waved them over to the table, which was laden with pulled pork, chicken, ribs and other kinds of meat accompanied by barbecue sauce, and sloppy joes. Riley ran – or tried to, it was difficult in the sand – toward him, a huge grin on her face. Maxwell followed not too far behind, even less gracefully, with Hana bringing up the rear in a striking contrast of elegance.

Maxwell’s mouth was open. “There’s so much of it.”

“Is this barbecue?” Hana asked while looking curiously at the food.

“Oh, yes.” Drake did his best fancy chef impression, “Classic Americana. You’ve got your pulled pork, chicken kebabs, brisket, ribs, vegetables, and sauces unique to regions around the world. And you can’t forget the classic sloppy joe.”

Riley giggled. She hadn’t spoken a word, still taking in the familiar feast.

“A... what?” Hana was the picture of confusion.

_Heh. She probably thinks Sloppy Joe is a person._

Drake smiled at her and explained, “Seasoned ground beef with onions, tomato sauce, and whatever else you feel like throwing in there.”

“You had me at ‘not fish,’” shrugged Maxwell.

“It looks messy...” Hana looked at the dish dubiously, possibly dreading getting it on her clothes. Then she smiled slightly, “but intriguing.”

Riley grabbed Drake’s arm all of a sudden. “Drake, I love sloppy joes! They were basically all I ate through middle school.” Her eyes were wide and she looked more excited than a simple sloppy joe would merit. Drake felt a huge smile spread across his face.

“Thank you, Addams.” He was on the verge of saying he knew from playing Two Truths and Lie, then thought twice about it when he realized he might come off as some kind of stalker. He settled for a one armed hug and saying, “Somebody else around here can appreciate a simple dish.”

Riley nodded and made no attempt to move away. Drake found that he was breathing too fast.

“It does seem a little strange to have such casual food here,” commented Hana.

 _Okay, here we go._ He let go of Riley under the pretext of directing his next words to her more easily. “Liam thought Addams would appreciate it. A little taste of home.”

Riley seemed surprised, but she smiled nonetheless. “This was his idea?”

_Say yes. Just yes. It was his idea, just say it._

“Mostly.” 

 _Damn it._  

He knew he could leave it there and change the subject, but he couldn’t resist saying, “From a purely selfish angle, I’m not exactly a caviar and oysters kind of guy, so...” He scratched the back of his neck, feeling an odd mixture of guilt and pride. 

 _Well, I’m nothing if not thorough; when I screw up, I screw up_ good _._

Riley shook her head at him. Her smile was huge and she bit her lip as if to keep from laughing. “Got it.”

Drake swallowed. “Anyway, let’s dig in. I  _love_  a good barbecue. Reminds me of cookouts on the lawn or summers with family...” He was babbling, which was a first for him, usually a man of few words.

“Aww, Drake, that’s actually kind of sweet...” Riley teased him.

"It is not,” he replied firmly. “Now, would you rather talk or would you rather eat?”

“Let’s talk about what happened to the real Drake,” Riley said. 

_Actually, yeah, I’d love to know what happened to him._

Drake grimaced. 

“You’re being awfully nice.” she arched an eyebrow. “Sharing food with us... talking about family cookouts... You need to frown or something. This isn’t right.”

Drake immediately scowled dramatically, then turned to look at Riley, who could barely contain her laughter. “... Happy?”

“Mildly... I’m keeping my eye on you.” she answered, making the “I’m watching you” gesture with her hand. 

Drake smirked. “Don’t strain yourself.”

They held each other’s gaze for a beat too long... again.

_How long do people usually make eye contact for? Was that too long? Since when do I think about this shit?!_

Maxwell and Hana, who had been having a separate conversation, joined them in grabbing sloppy joes from the table.

“So... how does one eat a ‘sloppy joe’?” asked Hana uncertainly. “Utensils or hands?”

Drake patted her back. “It’s your choice.”

“There’s no protocol? How are you supposed to elegantly eat at social gatherings?”

Drake snorted and shook his head at Hana, though not unkindly. “It’s a sloppy joe. There’s not going to be anything elegant about this.”

“Oh my...” Hana looked in equal parts frightened and thrilled at the prospect. Drake and Riley exchanged amused looks.

“You have to stop caring what everyone thinks, Hana. Like this.” Maxwell took a huge bite of his sloppy joe, getting it all over his face. He smiled at her, looking like a very happy – if sloppy – chipmunk.

Hana giggled while Riley nodded approvingly.

“Now you’re getting it,” Drake said proudly.

Hana shuddered. “I think my parents would murder me if they saw me doing that.” 

She got a knife and fork from the table instead, cut a dainty bite from her sloppy joe and tried it. Her eyes widened with delight.

“Oh, this is delicious.”

Maxwell, his mouth still full from his second huge bite said, “Mmm, rich, tangy, sweet... and sooooo good!”

“I accept tokens of appreciation in cash, credit, or check,” Drake joked.

Hana looked shocked. “...What?”

Drake rolled his eyes at her and Riley chuckled, saying, “You, uh... you’re looking pretty saucy there, Hana...”

Hana had a little barbecue on her chin, despite eating it with utensils. Her hand jumped to cover her mouth. Flustered, she tried wiping it off, not noticing she’d gotten it on her hand too. She ended up smearing half her face. 

She reddened and said, “ _Ohmygosh!_ ” hand back to covering her mouth. 

Drake and Maxwell burst into laughter, while Riley kindly told her, “Hana, don’t worry. Barbecue sauce is a good look for you.”

Hana removed her hand from her face and smiled sheepishly. “This may not be quite as embarrassing as the time I accidentally applied blush instead of powder to half my face.”

She and Riley giggled. Maxwell gave Drake a confused look to which Drake shrugged; he’d lived with two women after all, he knew the basics of make up, he’d explain it to Maxwell later.  

Riley grabbed a napkin from the table and gave it to Hana, who hastily wiped the barbecue off her face.

Maxwell hugged Hana. “Hey, according to Drake, getting messy is half the point!”

“Exactly,” seconded Drake, giving Hana an encouraging smile.

Riley pointed at Maxwell. “Well, Maxwell, it looks like a sauce container exploded on you, so mission accomplished.”

Maxwell was, indeed, covered in barbecue sauce; not just his face, but even his black shirt looked sticky and dirty. 

“That’s how the Beaumonts do it. Or at least the younger one.” He did finger guns at Riley. He grabbed the last bite of his sloppy joe and somehow managed to spill half the insides onto his shirt and pants.

It took them some time to stop laughing, while Maxwell took handfuls of napkins from the table to try to salvage his outfit.

“Well, that’ll have to do.”

“Why don’t you take it off, Maxwell?” asked Hana. She blushed furiously and clarified, “To clean it more easily, that is.”

“Oh, um, that’s a... good idea, Hana. I can’t really think of any reason not to...” Maxwell stayed quiet for a few seconds, he seemed like he was struggling with something. “Except... except that I want to, uh, keep some of the sauce. Yeah, that’s it. I want to keep it so that the chef at Ramsford can reverse engineer it.”

Drake instantly knew something was up, and Maxwell’s secrets tended to amuse him. “Oh, that’s not a problem, we could just ask the cate–”

“Nope. We wouldn’t want to bother them, Drake.” Maxwell gave him an uncharacteristically harsh look, so Drake chose to let it go. For now.

He and Riley exchanged curious looks. She motioned with her head to walk with her. Once they were a few feet away from the others, Riley asked, “What do you think  _that_  was all about?”

“Beats me. It was weird, though, even by Maxwell’s standards.”

“Well now I desperately want him to take his shirt off.”

Drake raised an eyebrow at her. She pushed him playfully. “Oh come on, you know what I mean, and I know you want him to, too.”

“Yeah, but how? I can’t think of any way to somehow trick him into it.”

“Giving up so easily? Pfft, I bet I can have him out of that shirt by the end of today.”

She had such a mischievous look in her eyes that Drake got a little worried... for Liam, of course. “Oh? And how do you plan on doing that, Addams?”

“... Okay, I don’t know yet, but you’ll see.”

“You’ll tell me, though? What his secret is?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, Drake. What would I get in return?” she took a step towards him. She was standing too close. He could feel the heat and sweat radiating off her skin. For the life of him he could not think of a single word to say.

He went on autopilot. “We should go back with the others.” He turned quickly, but not too quickly to miss Riley’s face falling.

As soon as they were back with the others, Maxwell turned to Drake and said, gesturing to the food, “Again. That was sooooo good...”

Hana nodded. “I’ll have to ask the chefs back home to add barbecue chicken to the rotation.”

Drake stretched his arms and said, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to enjoy the water.”

Maxwell shook his head. “I’m ready to stretch out like a beached whale.” He waved goodbye and headed off towards the shade.

“Suit yourself.” Drake called after him. “You coming with me, Addams? Hana?”

Riley nodded eagerly and Hana agreed, but followed up with, “Hang on, we need to put on sunscreen before we go.”

“Do we really?” Drake whined.

“ _I_  would love some sunscreen.” Riley admitted.

“Luckily, I brought enough for everyone.” From her huge beach bag, Hana brought out two bottles, one spf 50 and one spf 75. Drake took his shirt off and took the lower one.  _Better get this over with._

Riley, now having taken off her beach wrap came over to him. “Here, I’ll do you...” Before he could even register what was happening, she’d taken the bottle from his hand and squirted some sunscreen onto hers.

Drake felt giddy, somewhere between panic and a strange, worrying thrill. “This really doesn’t seem necessary.”

“Sun safety is no joke,” replied Riley with a wink.

The sunscreen felt blessedly cold on Drake’s back, though it slowly warmed up as Riley’s small hands rubbed it in. She went over his back more times than seemed necessary to him altogether. Once, he thought he heard her inhale sharply and he smirked involuntarily.

Too soon, and after what seemed like hours, she was no longer touching him. “Is the lady satisfied?” he asked sarcastically.

“Put some on your face, or you’ll burn there.” She smeared his nose.

“Hey!” Riley laughed while Drake spread it on his face, hoping to avoid white streaks. 

It took him all that time, plus most of his courage to say, “Then you probably want me to put some on your back.”

He could swear the few seconds that Riley took to respond almost killed him. “Actually, yes, I do.”

“You’re killing me, Addams.” 

_That about sums it up._

He squirted sunscreen onto his hands and made quick work of spreading it all over her back, trying not to notice her freckles, or the dimples on her lower back...

“Okay. Done.”

Riley reached up and wiped some sunscreen off his cheek with her thumb. Her hand lingered there for a second, when–

“Ready to go?” Hana had taken her dress off and was waiting nearby.

Riley dropped her hand.

“More than ready,” said Drake. “I hope you’re not wearing your swimsuit for nothing, Addams.” He let his gaze travel the length of her body as slowly as he dared. Riley seemed to notice anyway, arching an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. “Who’s joining me?”

“Me!” Hana enthused. 

“Let’s do this!” Riley agreed.

Drake took off running, eager to cool off – and not just from the sun. The refreshing water hit his shins and splashed all around him; he felt cool drops land on his upper body. He kept going, albeit with less momentum, until the water reached up to his chest.

“Wooooo!” Riley was right behind him and caught up soon, along with Hana.

The latter crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. “It’s colder than I thought.”

“You just need to adjust. Here, let me help.” Drake splashed Hana, who closed her eyes just in time for her face to get soaked.

“Pfffttbbb,” she spit out the water she’d swallowed in surprise. “That was a cheap shot.”

Drake laughed, which proved a mistake seconds later when Hana splashed him back and he got half the ocean in his mouth. 

He coughed it out, still laughing. “Now we’re talking.” He made as if to splash Hana again. She flinched, but at the last second he turned towards Riley and splashed her instead.

Riley wiped her eyes and glared at him. 

“He’s declaring war,” Hana said.

Drake put his hands up, conciliatory. “It was a warning shot.”

The last word had barely left his mouth when Riley splashed him with all her might.

It took him by surprise. “Ahhhhh.” 

He proceeded to have another coughing fit, in the middle of which he heard Hana yell, “Get him!”

Unseeing, Drake splashed with both hands in the general direction of Hana and Riley, but it was two against one. Soon, he started thinking if he didn’t back down he might actually drown.

“Okay,” Drake put his hands up in surrender, still coughing. “I get it.”

Riley smiled triumphantly and showed off her biceps, “Don’t mess with these water cannons.”

Drake scoffed at her and said, “While we’re having competitions, let’s race, Addams.”

The way she answered, “You’re a glutton for punishment today,” with a twinkle in her eyes made him think he’d been wrong before;  _this_  was how he might drown.

Drake chuckled, more to stall while he thought of something to say than anything else. “We’ll see how scary you are without Hana helping you out.”

“Alright. You’re on.”

“Where are we at on our bet again?”

“Does it matter? You’re gonna lose anyway,” she smirked.

“Heh. Cocky... but wrong. And someday you’ll have to pay up.” Their eyes met and there was a challenge in both; Drake wasn’t sure what it was anymore.

“We’ll see.”

“I’ll be the judge!” volunteered Hana. Not for the first time since he’d known her, Drake had forgotten she was there. 

_I’m such an asshole._

To make up for it, he gave her a one-armed hug and pointed towards the goal. “We’ll swim to the far end of the beach and back to these rocks.”

“Agreed,” said Riley.

They got in position, side by side, looking towards the beach.

“Ready, set... channel you inner mermaid!” Hana yelled.

Drake swam furiously, a blur of limbs and splashes. Although he knew he was in the lead, he’d learned by now not to underestimate Riley. He felt the water at the back of his feet stir and knew she was closing in. 

His fears were confirmed when he heard a loud, “Yes!” not far behind him. They’d reached the beach. He turned around as fast as he could and started the swim back. With Riley even closer now, he tried to speed up when he felt something close around his left foot and yank him back. 

He was so startled he stopped, only to find Riley looking at him with the smuggest grin on her face.

“Hey! What was that?”

“Seaweed?” she replied innocently.

Drake would have been pissed had she not looked so –  _goddamn it_  – adorable.

“I hope you’re ready to lose, Drake!” with that, she swam on. Drake followed immediately and slowly gained on her again.

He heard her mutter, “Not gonna lose to Drake...” and laughed to himself. His joy was short-lived, though, as Riley caught up and then overtook him right before they reached Hana.

“Riley wins!” Hana clapped and cheered.

“Yes!” Riley pumped her fist.

“I thought I had it,” Drake pouted. Riley stuck her tongue out at him.

“Real mature. And you cheated.”

“I don’t remember you saying I couldn’t sabotage you.” Riley shrugged.

“Right, ‘cause you normally say that before any race.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, I’m the judge and I say she won. Sorry, Drake,” interjected Hana.

He narrowed her eyes at her; Hana only smiled wider.

"Riley, in celebration of your victory, I want to give you something.”

“Is it a treasure chest?” Riley asked.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” Hana dove under the surface for a few seconds and came back up with a beautiful seashell in her hand. She put it in Riley’s and closed her fingers over it.

“Wow...” Riley said, looking genuinely touched.

Hana was staring at Riley so fondly that Drake felt like he was interrupting something. She murmured, “Surprise.”

Riley looked up from her seashell at Hana. “How did you find this?”

Hana shrugged. “I saw it sitting at the bottom while you were racing. They’re quite common in the area.”

“It’s so pretty.” Riley had gone back to admiring her prize.

Drake turned to Hana indignantly. “How come I don’t get anything?”

“Should’ve swam faster,” Riley offered.

“Ha ha.”

“Oh, I know,” said Hana, diving under once more. She resurfaced with a small, chipped sand dollar.

She proffered it ceremoniously to Drake. “For you.”

“What am I supposed to do with this?” he complained.

“You should wear it as a hat.” Riley giggled, taking it from him and putting it on his head.

“That’s stupid. This thing is stupid.” Drake shook it off and watched it fall to the ocean floor. 

Riley shrugged. “Your loss. It would’ve made a great hat... like a cute sand beret.” She pinched his cheek, teasing.

Drake slapped her hand off with a small laugh. “Whatever you say, Addams.”

Hana chimed in, “I’m starting to feel cold, so I think it’s time for some sunbathing.”

Drake agreed with her, relieved he had remained hazily aware of her presence. “Yeah. I’m feeling pretty done here myself.”

Riley seemed resigned. “It was nice to get in the water for a bit though.” She smiled at Drake a little sadly and they all made their way back to the shore in silence.

Riley went to lie down next to Maxwell. Drake was about to head off with no destination in mind, when Hana grabbed his arm.

“Drake, I wanted to say... I know it has been a bit awkward between us and I feel responsible. I am very sorry I made those offensive comments. I didn’t mean for them to be, but that’s no excuse, I–”

“Hana, it’s okay.” He smiled at her to show her he was being honest. “So we got off on the wrong foot a couple times, it’s not like it was just your fault! I was being an ass the whole time, and now that I know you better, I know you’re not like the other stuck-up nobles... most of the time.”

“Hey!”

“Kidding. But yeah, are we good?”

“Yes.” Hana smiled. “And Drake, thank you for... you know, being discreet,” she said with a subtle glance towards Riley and Maxwell. “I know you know and... you have been so understanding.”

“Of course I understand,” he replied, too quickly. He cleared his throat. “I mean, who hasn’t had a crush before, huh?”

Hana just sighed and said, “Well, I must go mingle with the other suitors, but I’m glad I could talk to you.”

“Yeah, me too. Have fun.”

Drake turned to go in the opposite direction and saw Liam and Riley talking very intimately, in his opinion. His stomach churned –  _It’s probably the sloppy joe_  – and he looked around frantically for someone to go talk to.

He spotted Bastien a ways off, keeping an eye on Liam from a considerate distance. He marched towards him, annoyed at the sand, the sun, pretty much everything.

“Drake? What’s wrong with you?”

“Wrong? There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Are you sure? Because it looked like you wanted to stomp the sand to death on your way here...”

“I’m just hot, okay? Been hot all day.”

“I don’t know about that, you seemed quite content to me while you were with Lady Riley... and the others, of course.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know what it means Drake. It’s clear you have feelings for her and if you don’t say or do something about it, it will eat you up inside.”

Drake’s mouth fell open. “That’s disgusting. And wrong. I don’t even get– why would– I’ve never had feelings for anyone, anywhere. It’s none of your– you have– the nerve, the audacity. Riley is a suitor, technically. And she is terrible, face-wise. And how– how do I know, frankly, that you don’t have feelings for her? Maybe you do. Maybe you’re trying to throw me off? Hmm, check and mate.”

Drake stomped off before Bastien could say another word.


	11. The Apple of His Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake's birthday!

 

After an uncomfortable, sleepless night, Drake resolved to spend the next few days training. Limiting his interactions with everyone – other than Bastien, who had mercifully not touched the subject again – was a huge bonus.

Although he’d been exercising a lot more than he usually did, he still couldn’t seem to get a good night’s rest. And so it was that on the morning of his birthday he awoke from a troubled sleep, twice as surly as he otherwise might have been.

There was a knock on his door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, revealing Liam, who was wearing a bright smile and carrying a brightly-wrapped package.

“Drake! I didn’t expect you’d be so... awake.”

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well.”

“Is everything okay? I’m sorry we haven’t been able to catch up lately. What with preparing for the Coronation and trying to spend time with all the suitors–”

“It’s fine, man. I get it. I haven’t really been around either.”

“Well then, on to what I came here for: happy birthday!” Liam stepped forward and hugged Drake, clapping his back. 

“Thanks.” Drake extracted himself from the hug as soon as he could. “You know I’m not into that crap, though.”

“Be that as it may, I still brought you something.”

He handed Drake the package and he tore into it, revealing a top-tier whiskey.

Drake chuckled. “Original.”

“Ha. I put more thought into it than you think. Riley told me you invited her to drink after Olivia’s ball and I'd hoped maybe this could convince you to share a drink with all of us today?”

“Absolutely not.”

He set the bottle down on his bedside table.

Liam looked crestfallen, yet in his current mood Drake could not bring himself to feel bad.

“I’m sorry, dude, but you know how I feel about my birthday at the best of times, and right now...” Drake trailed off, wishing he’d stayed quiet.

“Drake? What do you mean by ‘right now’? What’s wrong?”

_How the fuck am I supposed to know?_

He took the easy way out. “Really, Liam? ‘What’s wrong?’ I don’t know, it’s a little humid. Oh yeah, and also,  _my sister has been missing for months now!_ ”

He yelled the last part, half full of resentment, half of guilt. To his horror, Liam looked down at the floor, ashamed.

“You’re right. Forgive me, that was insensitive of me.”

Drake opened his mouth to tell Liam to stop apologizing; he’d done nothing wrong. Liam waved him quiet and continued, “Please, allow me to apologize properly. I don’t think I have been a good friend lately. I haven’t helped you as much as I could and I haven’t been considerate.”

“Liam, stop. That’s not true.”

“It is. I have let myself be distracted by other things.”

“Important things.”

“Our friendship is important.”

Drake had nothing to say to that and he felt his throat tighten. They looked at each other for a beat. Drake managed to swallow and spoke, “Look, let’s not talk about it. Thank you for coming here, man, I mean it.”

“Of course. Are you sure I can’t convince you?”

“Definitely.”

Liam grimaced, but accepted his response with a shrug.

“Then save it for another day, yes? Don’t drink this alone on your birthday.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Drake gave Liam a smile before closing the door after him and throwing the bottle into his half-empty duffel bag.

He sighed and threw himself back on his bed. 

_God, I hate birthdays._

He lay there for a while, his thoughts in turmoil. 

_I_ _t’s like every year they get worse._

_Not that you’d deserve any better, you piece of shit. You’re the worst friend ever. All Liam does is be nice to you and how do you repay him? By resenting him for no reason._

At that point, it was like his mind split in two and he was suddenly at war against himself.

_Is it for no reason, though?_

_Yeah... I mean, the usual, everything is always about him._

_What about what Bastien said the other day?_

_I don’t know what you’re talking about._

_Oh, please, you haven’t stopped thinking about it._

_Only ‘cause it was such a stupid thing to say._

_Face it, you definitely have feelings for–_

The door to his room swung open.

“HAP–!”

“Do not,” said Drake, before Maxwell could get more than the first syllable out.

Maxwell let out a great breath, deflated. “Aw, man, I wish you’d let us celebrate with you for once.”

“Not gonna happen.”

“What if we get Lady Kiara to–”

“GOD, why is everyone so obsessed with Lady Kiara. I. don’t. like. her.”

Maxwell was taken aback by Drake’s outburst, which made him soften.

“Look, Maxwell, I know you mean well, it’s just a hard day for me, okay? What with Savannah gone...”

He trailed off sadly.

“No word from her, huh?” asked Maxwell, looking at his feet.

“Nope. Don’t worry about me, though, I’ll be fine.”

“Drake, you have no idea how much I wish there was something I could do.” Maxwell looked up at this, making direct eye contact with Drake.

“Oh. Um, thanks, man, I appreciate the sentiment,” said Drake, puzzled yet touched by his friend’s earnestness. 

Maxwell cleared his throat. “Well, I’d better let you get ready to go or you’ll be late to the ceremony. You’ll be there, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll hang out for a while.”

Maxwell gave him a huge smile. “Great! And, you know, if we happen to be having a good time and one thing leads to another–”

“You’re not tricking me into celebrating, Maxwell,” Drake said with a mixture of amusement and resolve.

“We’ll see!” Maxwell winked and left his room.

Drake had been too busy wallowing to remember the ceremony, yet he was surprised to find he was looking forward to it; at least it would provide a distraction. Of course, it would also be the first time he’d see Riley since the incident with Bastien. 

 _So what? It’s not like she knows... not that there’s anything to_ know _, even._

He got ready in record time, even by his standards, throwing clothes and toiletries haphazardly into his bag. 

_Huh. I guess I actually missed hanging out with, um, everyone._

He felt significantly less grumpy – although he wouldn’t go as far as cheerful – as he ambled towards the waiting limo.

“You certainly took your time.” He heard Bastien’s stern voice from the front as he got in the back with Liam. His mood immediately took a downward turn.

“Sorry,  _Dad_ ,” he sneered. He pretended not to hear Bastien’s annoyed sigh nor see Liam’s confused look. He made an instantaneous decision to sleep – or at worst, pretend to – the whole ride to Applewood Manor.

His plan was actually easier to enact that he’d expected, due to how poorly he’d slept the night before, so he was very drowsy when he was gently shaken awake by Liam what felt like 5 minutes later.

“We’re here.”

“I can  _see_  that,” he grumbled.

Liam chuckled. It was a relief that he knew Drake well enough so as not to be at all surprised or offended. He was even grumpier than normal when being woken up. Drake gave him a rueful smile, determined to stop acting like a jerk to Liam, at least. 

He went directly up to the room that was usually his and deposited his stuff on the floor next to the bed. He exited the room, taking a few steps away from it, when something caught his eye. He rushed past his door to the one right next to his. Sure enough, there was a small sign hanging from the handle, with the words “Lady Riley Addams” on it.

_Well, fuck._

He got that odd feeling again, the one that was half panic, half excitement, rising in his throat, suffocating him. His head was swimming. He put his hand on the door, leaning on it while he got his breath back, when he heard footsteps.

He stood upright just in time to see Riley rounding the corner leading to the hallway he was currently standing around in. Noticing she hadn’t spotted him yet, he threw the door to his room open and flung himself in. Breathing heavily, he stood there with his back to the door, listening for Riley’s door.

He heard her footsteps come closer and then abruptly stop at his room. A faint “huh” came, barely audible, from the other side. 

_Good “huh” or bad “huh”?_

He dismissed the thought before it could get a tight grip on his brain. The footsteps continued on their way and he heard a door open and close. He got out of his room as quietly as possible –  _I don’t want her to think I’m avoiding her... Well, aren’t you?_  – and raced the length of the hallway, practically sprinting until he’d reached the orchard.

“Hey, Drake.” Maxwell waved him over from the sidelines, the press taking up much of the space up front. “What are you rushing for? It hasn’t started yet!”

“Oh,” Drake pretended to look at his phone, “you’re right. I thought I was late.”

“Nah, Riley’s not even here yet.”

“She’s not?”

_I might win an Oscar before the day is done._

“No, and she better get a move on if– Oh, never mind, there she comes.” Maxwell pointed to the orchard’s wrought-iron gate entrance. Sure enough, Riley was hurrying in the direction of the press, not glancing their way. Drake let out a sigh of relief, allowing himself a second to take her in. She looked pretty in a relaxed, effortless sort of way in her simple white dress.

“What are you smiling about?” asked Maxwell.

“What?” Drake’s smile was startled off his face. “Just imagining Hana’s face when she tries the Cordonian Ruby,” he recovered, nodding towards Hana and smirking.

To his surprise, instead of laughing, Maxwell’s face drained of color.

“What’s wrong?”

“I forgot to warn Riley! If she makes a face, the press will tear her apart, especially as a foreigner.”

Drake waved Maxwell’s concern away. “Have a little faith, Maxwell, I’m sure Addams’ got this.”

“Well, since when do  _you_  believe in her so much, Drake?” He gave Drake a sly sideways look.

Drake felt his heartbeat quicken, but managed to play it cool, “Shut up. Even I can admit she’s not completely hopeless.”

They both turned in time to see all the suitors simultaneously bite into their apples. As Drake had predicted, Hana grimaced comically at the sourness, but he hardly saw her, his eyes drawn inevitably to Riley. He’d been right about her, too; her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly when she first tasted the apple, yet she recovered almost instantly, to the point that Drake was certain he’d been the only one who noticed.

He turned to Maxwell who was directing an enthusiastic thumbs-up at Riley. He turned back and saw her return the thumbs-up at Maxwell, smiling. She made eye contact with him and he thought he saw her smile widen. He pretended not to see.

“Hey, Maxwell, I’m gonna go take a walk, okay?”

“Do you want some company?”

“No, thanks.”

He took off before Maxwell could insist. He strolled aimlessly around the Manor’s grounds, trying to get far from the press and everyone exiting the orchard now, but not knowing where to go. He spotted Bertrand at some distance and was debating whether he was desperate enough for a distraction to go talk to him, when the noble made a beeline towards Ana De Luca. 

He watched as they argued heatedly until Bertrand stormed off. He prepared to walk further away from the crowd when Riley and Maxwell passed him and approached the reporter.

As he tried to make out what they might be talking about, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hello, Drake.” Hana stood next to him, smiling her polite smile, though he’d learned to distinguish its degree of friendliness. This was the friendliest she’d given him.

“Hey, Hana, how’s it going?”

“Not too well, I’m afraid,” she frowned.

“That makes two of us. How come?”

“I’m sure you saw me make a fool of myself up there.”

Drake let out a small laugh that he turned into a cough at the last minute. “A-hem. Yeah, it wasn’t that bad.”

“You can laugh. I’d imagine it was amusing.” She gave a small giggle.

“Whew! Thanks, ‘cause it really was.” Drake laughed openly now and Hana joined him. 

She stopped short. “Wait, did you say you were having a bad day, too?” She tilted her head sympathetically.

“Oh, it’s nothing, forget I said–”

“Drake!”

“Here we go.”

Maxwell strode towards them.

“Hey, Hana! Cute grimace up there!”

She blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Don’t remind me.”

“Aw, it’s okay! Even Cordonians make faces when they eat Cordonian Rubies, the other suitors were just better at faking it.”

“Maxwell, maybe stop talking,” said Drake with a meaningful look at Hana’s despondent face.

“Right, erm, why don’t we join Drake on his walk?”

“I never offered,” retorted Drake through gritted teeth.

Hana didn’t seem to have heard him though, because she exclaimed brightly, “Yes! That’s just what I need, and it’s such a beautiful day, too!”

“I know, doesn’t it make you want to celebrate?” Maxwell nudged Drake, who shot him a menacing glare.

“Celebrate what?”

“The weather,” said Drake quickly. “You know how Maxwell is, never needs much of an excuse to party.”

Hana nodded her understanding.

“Oh, where’s Riley?” she asked hopefully.

Drake hated his face for mirroring her expression.

“I just got her some alone time with Liam,” Maxwell smirked. “I am the  _best_  sponsor. Am I right or am I right?”

“You’ve forgotten to tell her more important things than I can count, Maxwell,” snapped Drake, whose bad temper had flared up again unexpectedly.

Hana stared at him reproachfully. “Well, I’d still want you to be my sponsor.” She touched Maxwell’s forearm lightly and he blushed.

“Thanks, Hana. Have you seen the royal gardens?”

“No! I didn’t have much time to walk around before the ceremony, but I’ve heard they are lovely!”

“Sure, let’s go there, why not.” Drake led the way, walking on his own at the front of the group, while a few steps behind him, Maxwell gave Hana a tour, complete with wacky anecdotes from his many visits to the Manor. He heard her tinkling laugh, as Maxwell’s voice became louder and louder, in proportion with his enthusiasm, and he shook his head with a smile.

The grounds transitioned into the wonderfully lush royal gardens. Drake was just beginning to appreciate the varied, colorful flowers, with their subtle scents and buzzing bees circling them, when he spotted Liam and Riley talking in a romantic gazebo. 

_Nature’s overrated._

As he was thinking of an excuse to retreat to his room, Liam and Riley left the gazebo and started towards them. His brain tried to get him to make a fast getaway, but his feet seemed to be glued to the floor. There was no point trying, anyway, because Maxwell was waving them over.

Riley caught up with them a few seconds before Liam. “Drake!” she squealed, and threw her arms around him.

Despite being caught off guard, Drake’s arms immediately encircled her and he thought – not for the first time – how natural it felt.

After giving his brain a second to start functioning again, he wondered, “Why do you look so happy to see me?” She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him smugly. “Oh no... God no...”

“Yep.” Riley patted his shoulder before finally stepping back and giving him a gloating grin. “Happy birthday.”

Drake rounded on Liam, who had watched this exchange highly entertained. “Liam,  _you told her?_ ”

He shrugged. “My deepest apologies, Drake. I forgot that it was such a closely guarded secret.” He winked at Drake at this last part; he knew full well it was.

He felt unreasonably angry. 

 _Goddammit, Liam, stop being so fucking nice to me. Stop making me spend time with Addams. Fuck._  

He took a deep breath. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter, because this is the last we’re ever going to speak of it ever again.”

“You don’t want to do something fun on your birthday?” asked Hana from behind him. “Even  _I_  was allowed petit fours and an hour playing with my father’s cat each year...”

Maxwell put a pitying hand on Drake’s shoulder. “Man, Drake, even Hana feels bad for you.”

Drake crossed his arms, “I don’t need  _fun_  to enjoy myself.” Hearing how ridiculous he sounded, he chose to go on the offensive, “Besides, what could you jokers possibly want to do that would be fun for me?”

“Are all Americans as fussy as Drake is about birthdays, Riley?” Maxwell piped up from Drake’s left side.

Riley furrowed her brow. “Drake’s an American?”

“Half. On my mother’s side,” he explained.

Riley tapped a thoughtful finger to her lips. “That gives me an idea... Do you have any American Western-themed bars here in Cordonia?” 

She directed this question at no one in particular. Maxwell jumped into action, taking his phone out of his pocket.

“Checking on my phone now...”

Riley took hold of his forearm. “How about that, Drake? Whiskey, mechanical bull riding, and some good ol’ American fun.” She said the last part in an exaggerated Southern accent that made Drake snort in spite of himself.

He attempted to hide his sudden eagerness for a night out with Riley... and everyone else, obviously. “I guess it doesn’t sound  _horrible_... but I can’t ask you guys to sneak out for that.”

He phrased it like a statement, but there was a question in it; a question he was too afraid to ask. Just how much did he mean to his friends? 

_Hell, do I even deserve friends? I treat ‘em like crap half the time..._

Liam’s response cut his insecure rambling short. “Nonsense. I’d love to.”

“I’d also like to understand more of Riley’s American culture!” Hana concurred. 

 _Of course she found a way to make this about her crush._  

He appreciated her agreeing so readily nonetheless.

“And I’ll take any excuse to drink and dance the night away!” Maxwell yelled. “Plus, I just found the perfect place!”

He showed them a map on his phone which displayed the route to a bar only 15 minutes away from the Manor by foot.

Drake scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know... Do you really want to do this, Riley?” He found he couldn’t make eye contact, scared she’d see how badly he wanted this after all his grumbling

_Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes._

He couldn’t keep pretending he wanted to spend his birthday alone, at least not to himself. 

Riley feigned thinking hard about it, even scratching her head. Drake would’ve rolled his eyes at her, had he not been so anxious. He felt her staring, pulling his eyes up to hers. When he finally looked at her, she grinned and said, “I say we’re goin’ out tonight!”

“Yes!” Maxwell whooped.

“I must go prepare!” Hana declared, before rushing off to the manor.

“Yeah...” Slowly, a smile appeared on Drake’s face. “Something tells me this is going to be a night to remember.”

“Oh, if I do my job, it’ll be a night you  _won’t_  remember,” Maxwell said, as he hugged Drake from the side.

“Ha,” Drake laughed, “I can drink you under the table, Maxwell."

“... Maybe. But I can dance you under the table!”

“No one’s gonna argue with  _that_.”

“I don’t know, Drake,” said Liam. “You were adamant earlier that you would not celebrate, yet we’ve succeeded in convincing you. You might participate in a dance-off before the night is over.”

“Not likely.”

“I’m sure Riley could convince you.”

Liam said this neutrally, but Drake still turned to look at him sharply, expecting to see... what? Suspicion? Why would he think that? He had nothing to hide.

“I’m not so sure, Liam. Drake can be a stubborn ass when he wants to be,” Riley countered, her eyebrow raised at him.

Liam looked mildly surprised at Riley’s choice of words, but Drake chuckled. 

“You got me there, Addams.”

Riley parted then, eager to get ready for a night out.

Liam turned to Drake. 

“Drake, I forgot to mention, Riley’s room should be next to yours.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” he replied, as nonchalantly as he could.

“Oh, well, forgive me for not asking you earlier; there is no one else, other than myself, I’d trust with her safety.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. On the one hand, he also wanted Riley safe, of course; she was Liam’s soon-to-be fiancée, after all. On the other hand, he felt inexplicable, hot shame rising on his neck.

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!” Maxwell poked Liam’s chest.

Tightening his lips to keep himself from smiling, Liam explained, “No offense, Maxwell, I know you care about her too but... you have been known to forget a thing or two...”

Maxwell dropped his finger and the subject, shrugging as if to say, fair enough.

“Well, come on! Let’s go get ready! I can hear the dance floor calling my name,” Maxwell urged them, tugging on Drake’s sleeve.

“You must have a hell of an ear,” he joked, but he let himself be led back to the Manor by Maxwell.

Drake didn’t really need time to get ready, as he planned on using the same outfit he had on. He didn’t want to seem like he cared too much; they’d practically had to drag him out, after all.

When he judged enough time had passed that he wouldn’t be the first one out, he headed to his door. He paused with his hand on the handle, then went back to his bag and took out a small bottle. 

_Nothing wrong with not wanting to stink._

Satisfied with his smell, he left his room and ran into Riley, who was leaving hers.

“Hey, neighbor,” she greeted him. He noticed with relief she hadn’t changed either. 

_Why would she? She already looks, uh, decent._

“Hey yourself.”

They walked down the hallway together in a comfortable silence. He thought he would’ve been happy if neither of them broke it, until she did with, “You smell nice.” That was infinitely better than any silence, comfortable or not.

“That’s just my natural scent, Addams,” he shrugged.

“Riiight, I forgot you always smell like sandalwood rather than whiskey and contempt.”

He snorted, “What is  _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Are you telling me that if somebody bottled your signature scent, those wouldn’t be the two main ingredients?”

“... Fair point,” he admitted, still chuckling.

“They could call it, Drake: Eau de Upset,” she forced out between laughs.

“Shut up, Addams,” he pushed her playfully, both still laughing as they reached the rest of the group, who were already waiting downstairs.

“What are you guys doing?! Come on! The night waits for no one!” said Maxwell dramatically.

“Okay, okay, we’re here. Let’s go. You know how to get there, Maxwell?”

“My phone does.” He entered the address and led the short way to the bar.

Along the way, Drake hurried to walk beside Liam.

“Hey, man. I wanted to apologize for this morning.”

“Drake, there’s nothing to–”

“Dude, you asked me to let you apologize and I did, so now it’s my turn.”

Liam nodded, and Drake continued, “I’m sorry if I made you feel guilty about...” he swallowed, “my problems. The truth is, you’re always there for me; even now, when you have so much on your plate! So, if anyone needs to step it up, it’s me.” He sighed. “Oh, and thanks for making me come out tonight!”

“Don’t thank me! This was all Riley,” he beamed and Drake’s stomach clenched.

“We’re here!” Maxwell gestured at the sign outside the bar, which spelled Outlaw.

It was still early, so there was no line outside, although it would have been no problem if there had been. 

_Hanging out with nobles all the time does have its perks._

They let Hana and Riley enter first, and then the three men followed. They walked through the wooden swinging doors to find themselves in a dimly lit, rustic space. The walls were made of wood, or at least lined with it. All the chairs and barstools were covered in worn brown leather and the tables were repurposed barrels. There were deer heads and cow skulls adorning the walls and up high, lamps were made out of antlers and wooden wheels. 

_They really went all out with the cheesy decor._

“The party has arrived!” Maxwell announced loudly, earning him a few irritated glances from customers.

“Oh? Where?” Hana looked around.

Drake smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s us, Hana. He means us.”

“Exactly, my good man.” Maxwell clapped his back. “As in,  _we’re_  the life of the party.”

“We... are?” Hana asked dubiously.

Maxwell grimaced. “Well. Some of us.”

Like any good business owner, the man who ran this place was trained to detect rich customers from miles away. He came up to them and showed them to a more comfortable, private booth. He promised to send a waiter back for their order and hurried off.

“I can’t believe you actually talked me into this.”

Riley slammed her hands on the table. “First order of business... we’ve got to get you a birthday drink!” 

“I’ll buy the first round,” offered Liam.

“On his _birthday_?” asked Riley incredulously. “Any bartender with a heart would give him a  _free_  drink to start the night off, don’t you think?”

Drake turned to her and explained, in an exaggeratedly patient voice, “Free drinks are something that happens when you’re a  _woman_ , Riley. Even on my twenty-first birthday I didn’t get so much as a free drop from anyone.”

She scoffed at his patronizing. “No? Well, let me see what I can do. Come on, Drake.” She got up and pulled him out of the booth with her, marching up to the bar.

“Hey, bartender,” she gave him a flirty smile, “my friend here is celebrating his birthday today! Can we get a drink on the house?”

The bartender considered her thoughtfully for a few seconds in a way that made Drake want to tell her to forget about the drink altogether. He finally nodded.

Drake was stunned, “It’s like everything I know is wrong.”

“Heh,” she chuckled. She patted his back. “Good of you to admit it.”

Drake felt goosebumps rising at her touch and realized what had happened. He snapped his fingers. “No, wait. I figured it out. Of course he’ll do it for you. No one says no to a hot girl.”

Riley’s mouth fell open briefly; she closed it quickly and turned it into a smirk. “Drake, you definitely just called me hot.”

It was Drake’s turn to look dumbfounded. “I just meant...” 

 _Meant what?!_  

“From  _his_  perspective...” 

_Whew, okay, that was a close one. It’s not even a lie._

Riley was skeptical. “Suuuuure,” she said with a smug smile.

Drake cleared his throat, “Anyway, stop holdin’ up the line. You’ve gotta tell the man what drink you’re ordering.”

For some reason, Riley giggled. She turned to the bartender, “He’ll have your girliest, fruitiest drink, please.”

“That would be the pink raspberry cosmo.”

Riley nodded her agreement and turned back to Drake, barely keeping herself from laughing at how horrified he looked.

“You wouldn’t!” he shook his head feverishly.

Riley threw her hands up. “I just did!”

The bartender finished shaking the drink and handed it to Riley on a martini glass, with raspberries instead of olives and complete with a pink sugar rim. Drake closed his eyes as if in pain.

“Way to ruin a perfectly good free drink on some monstrosity like this.”

Riley shrugged, “My drink, my rules. Just try it.” She shoved it into Drake’s hand and he gave it a small sip. His face was poised for frowning, yet his expression changed when the taste hit his tongue. 

_Damn, that’s actually pretty good._

Riley gave him a knowing smile. “And?”

Drake found himself going back for a second, bigger sip.

Riley tightened her lips to keep from laughing. “Nothing bad to say?”

“For an overly-sugared, completely silly, ridiculous excuse for a drink... this isn’t half bad,” he said as nonchalantly as he could.

“Ha! I knew it! Girly drinks are the best.”

“I definitely wouldn’t go that far, but I might be more open to them now,” Drake conceded.

“You’re welcome.”

“Thanks, Addams.” He touched her arm and she glanced down at his hand.

“There you two are!” They both wheeled around quickly to see Hana standing with a drink identical to Drake’s in her hand. Drake set it down on the bar surreptitiously. Riley glared at him and he picked it up again guiltily. 

_Okay, own it._

Maxwell arrived just behind her. “Prince Liam just paid the guy operating the mechanical bull. He wants Drake to ride!”

Drake almost did a spit take. “Me? No way.”

“I figured you wouldn’t want to, but Liam says you’re some kind of expert...”

Riley’s eyebrows shot upward, “Is that true?”

“There’s only one way you’d get to find out, and I’m not drunk enough to make a fool of myself yet.”

“Personally, I’d rather see Hana try...” Maxwell elbowed her gently.

Hana shook her head with vigor, “Oh! I couldn’t I wouldn’t even know where to begin!”

Maxwell laughed, “Yeah, that’s why it’d be fun! Okay, tie-breaker vote... Riley! Hana or Drake?”

Riley put her hand on her chin, but gave her answer almost instantly, “Hmm... Drake! You’re the birthday boy, after all!” She hugged his waist and he ruffled her hair in what he hoped was simply a friendly way.

“Yeah, yeah. So you keep telling me.” He downed his drink but made no move towards the bull.

“Drake! Drake! Drake!” Maxwell chanted. 

Hana and Riley seemed on the verge of joining, so Drake diffused the situation, “Okay, okay! I’ll do it. Just... quiet down. You’re embarrassing me.”

“That’s kind of the whole point...” Maxwell managed between laughs.

They walked to the ring as a group. Liam was waiting for them. He clapped Drake on the back, wishing him luck before he went into the ring.

“Hey, Drake,” Riley called as he was getting on the bull.

“What now, Addams?”

“Are you ready to embarrass yourself?”

“Pfft, the only one who’s gonna be embarrassed here is you, when I break the record and show you how wrong you are,” he bragged.

Riley gave a big laugh, which he chose to ignore.

He made himself as comfortable as possible and gripped the horns firmly. He looked around for some kind of switch. “How do you start this thing?”

The last word had scarcely left his mouth when the bull started bucking lightly. He kept his balance easily.

“Hah. Not even a challenge.”

Again, as soon as he said it, the bull bucked more wildly. It still didn’t come close to unseating him, but he had to grasp it with most of his strength.

“Okay, that’s a little harder...”

By that point, he was totally disoriented, yet for some reason, still able to pick Riley’s face out of the crowd. He heard her yell, “Come on, birthday boy! You can last longer than that!”

With renewed determination, Drake taunted, “Is that all you’ve got, bull?”

The machine gave a small buck and immediately followed it with its biggest one yet, catching him unawares. His body was thrown clean off the ring, flying straight into Riley, who let out a startled “Oof.” The fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Drake slowly got up on his elbows, trying to feel if any part of him was hurt, but apparently Riley had broken his fall quite thoroughly.

Their faces were really close together. He wiped sweat off his brow and apologized, "Whoa! Sorry, Addams.”

“Heh. My own fault for making you do it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends, with Liam in the lead, approaching, and he got up quickly. He offered his hand to Riley and helped her up. He enjoyed the warmth he had come to expect now but dropped her hand as soon as she was up.

“True,” he said, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Maxwell came bouncing up to them, “We should hit the dance floor!”

“I don’t think you can waltz to this,” worried Hana, referring to the pop country song that was playing.

“Yeah, exactly the point. I mean  _really_  dance. Like, the fun kind of dancing,” clarified Maxwell.

If anything, Hana seemed more dubious. “The... fun... kind? What would that entail?”

Maxwell broke into a huge smile. “I could tell you, but it’s going to be a lot more fun to show you.” With that he dragged her to the dance floor; Liam shook his head in amusement and followed them.

That left Drake standing with Riley, feeling uncomfortable.

“I’m not really the kind of guy who dances,” he justified himself.

“Seriously? Just sway side to side, and you’re basically set,” replied Riley, who had begun to do just that. She made it look so simple, but he knew it was the kind of thing that comes easy only to those who have rhythm.

“Really? According to Maxwell, there’s a lot more to it than that...” 

He nodded to the dance floor, were Maxwell was flapping his arms, forcing people to move to the edges. “Make room, make room!”

When a significant amount of space was clear, Maxwell broke into a flurry of complex breakdance moves, ending in a clean split. 

“That was... impressive!” Riley said, her eyes wide.

Drake’s face fell. “I’m never going to be like Maxwell.”

At that moment, they saw him approach what was probably a bachelorette party and make his presence known with a, “Laaadies...”

Riley facepalmed. “I think the world can only handle  _one_  Maxwell...”

“Heh.”

“Besides,” she turned to him, blocking his view of Maxwell and everyone else, “there’s a reason I picked  _you_  to dance with and not him.”

Drake drew breath sharply.  _Play it cool._  “Didn’t want to try to keep up with his acrobatics?”

“Maybe I like your style better.” She raised her hand to his neck and fixed his collar. It was lucky Drake had just taken a breath because he was suddenly holding it. 

She let her hand fall and he could breathe again. “Come on, Addams, it’s more like a lack of style than anything else.”

“Is this a new, humble Drake?” she questioned.

"Only on the dance floor,” he put his hand to his heart, “my one weakness.”

“I thought  _I_  was your one weakness.”

“I...” 

_Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck._

Drake’s brain was stuck in loop and he’d completely forgotten how to form words; not that it mattered, as he wouldn’t have known what to say anyway.

Emboldened by her effect on Drake, Riley took a step forward and went on, “I mean, I’m the only one who doesn’t let you get away with anything... and I got you out here tonight, didn’t I?”

They stood there, smiling at each other. 

_Like an idiot. I’m smiling like a goddamn idiot._

He couldn’t seem to stop. 

He gathered enough courage and voiced the first thing he’d thought when she said that, “As far as weaknesses go, you’re not the worst, Addams.”

She looked up at him and he felt like they were circling something important. She blushed and let her gaze fall to her feet as they heard Maxwell from a few feet away, “And this, Hana, is ‘the sprinkler.’”

“Ooh, do you have sprinkles?” she chirped.

Drake and Riley snorted.

“It’s... water.” Maxwell tried to explain, miming the move. When Hana seemed equally – if not more – puzzled, he let it go, “Just forget it.”

Drake turned to Riley, who was still giggling. “Um, wanna go join them?” 

_Say no, say no, say no._

"Sure.”

_Dammit._

They pushed their way onto the crowded dance floor to find their friends encircled by curious onlookers, no doubt attracted by Maxwell’s ostentatious dance moves.

“Liam, get in the middle of the circle and show us a move!” Riley encouraged.

Liam blushed and said, “I couldn’t possibly.”

Drake whooped and yelled, “Do it!”

Maxwell, as was expected of him, started a chant that everyone around them was quick to pick up, “Liam! Liam! Liam!”

Liam put his hands up in defeat. “Very well, if it’ll avoid causing a scene...”

He walked to the center of the circle, head bobbing to the beat. Maxwell went around the circle, clearing more space for Liam. Right at the song’s climax Liam did a perfect front flip.

Drake dragged a hand down his face, anticipating what came next. Indeed, a second later, he heard Riley praise him, awe in her voice, “Whoa! I didn’t know you had moves like that!”

Drake’s lips tightened into a thin line.

“As part of my education, my parents had me take a few years of gymnastics. I’m afraid that’s more or less all I remember,” said Liam humbly, but obviously pleased.

“It’s enough,” admired Maxwell.

The song faded, a new one starting right away. Drake heard a familiar guitar riff that he couldn’t quite place, especially busy as he was witnessing the worst thing he could think of.

“Lady Riley, may I have this dance?” asked Liam, offering his hand.

“Of course, Prince Liam.” Both smiling brightly, they paired off, leaving Drake, who hadn’t noticed Maxwell and Hana leave, standing alone.

_“Jessie is a friend.  
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine.”_

_FUCK. Are you kidding me?!_

He stood rooted to the spot, hypnotized by Liam and Riley’s dancing figures. He couldn’t take his eyes off his smile, her laugh, the way they occasionally leaned closer to each other to whisper something. His hands balled into fists and he felt his face grow hot.

 _“And she's watching him with those eyes._  
And she's loving him with that body, I just know it.  
Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night.

_You know I wish that I had Jessie’s girl.”_

As if by magic, he realized he could move again. He turned on his heel and darted into the men’s room. It was blessedly empty. He leaned on the sink and stared at himself in the mirror.

“Get it together. Now.”

He splashed water on his face, which did nothing to minimize his discomfort. “Fuck. I can’t.”

He was not entirely certain what he was talking about at all, or if he had even said it out loud. He walked out and to their booth in a drunken haze, though he’d only had one drink.

He slumped into the booth and grabbed the menu, more to have something occupying his eyes than anything else. He’d read it cover to cover when Hana sat next to him.

“Drake?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you were okay?”

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Just great. I’m feeling great, having fun, so happy on my birthday, for sure.”

“If you say so...” Hana was staring intently at him and Drake realized his gaze had drifted back to the dance floor.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, Drake,” she gave him a serious look, “just know you’re not alone.”

“Thanks, Hana.”

“I’ll leave you be, but you should join us within the next song or two before anyone else notices.”

Drake nodded. He decided to give himself one more song to get out of this random funk. Halfway through it, someone shoved their hand right in front of his eyes.

“I know you said you don’t dance... Care to stand around with me during this next song?” Riley asked.

Cold relief washed over him and he felt himself grinning up at her.

“It would be my pleasure.”

They once again made it to the dance floor, where they stood side by side, as promised.

“Hey, Addams, you don’t have to do this, go dance.”

“Drake! I told you. I like _your_  style. Plus, I’ve already danced with everyone, so I’m allowed to have seconds, don’t you think?”

“Well, in that case, thanks... I like your style too, by the way. Excellent stander.”

“You think so?” She put on a posh accent. “Indeed, I have been told I am a world-class stander.”

Drake laughed, “You’re such a dork.”

“But I’m your favorite dork.”

He wasn’t sure whether to agree or tease her some more, but he was spared the dilemma by Liam declaring it was time to leave. The group reunited and moved to the exit.

“We shut this place  _down!_ ” whooped Maxwell, making an enthusiastic downward move with his arms.

“What did you think, Hana?” Riley asked.

“This was scary... but a fun kind of scary?”

Maxwell put an arm around her shoulders, “You’ll learn to love going out. Just wait until next time.”

“Next time?” Hana seemed uncertain as to whether she wanted it to happen or not.

“I hope there’s a next time...” said Liam, “as long as we can find another way to sneak out.”

“We’ll make it happen,” assured Riley. She turned back and saw Drake, who had been lagging behind. She let the others go on ahead and went to him.

“Not ready for you birthday to be over?”

“Heh. Maybe. You know, to tell you the truth, I always dreaded my birthday when I was a kid,” he began explaining. “My parents tried hard, really hard, to give me the best birthday they could. But I kind of always knew that no matter what they did, Prince Liam’s parents were going to top it.” 

When Riley appeared to be confused by this, he elaborated, “My parents got me a toy T-rex? Liam’s parents got the entire palace staff to dress up like dinosaurs for _his_  birthday. My parents got me a cake shaped like a car? Liam’s parents got him a cake the  _size_  of a car.”

Riley had a pained expression on her face. “Drake, you must’ve hated Liam’s guts.”

Drake shook his head fervently, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. “Heh, it was tempting... but you know how Liam is. In all honesty, he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met. If anyone can pull off extravagant wealth without being obnoxious, it’s him.” 

Riley nodded her agreement, smiling fondly. Drake resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her and continued, “So these over-the-top birthday parties never got under my skin. But they were hell on my parents. They knew they could never even come close to what my best friend was getting... and that killed them.” 

She was standing closer and now rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. She moved her thumb back and forth, rubbing soothingly. 

“So around when I was nine or ten, I made a decision to stop trying. No more birthday parties, no more cakes, no more presents... all I wanted was to spend the day with my family doing something fun. My parents loved it. Made them feel like they could really give me something special.”

It was the first time in the past year that he could reminisce about his family without pain. It felt good to tell someone other than Liam about his beautiful, dumb family traditions; they meant more to him than he would usually care to admit, but he was feeling vulnerable.

“Aww...” she said, half teasing, half serious.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m a total marshmallow.” This time he did roll his eyes at her. “Just don’t tell anyone else.”

She grinned. “No promises... but...”

“But?”

“Drake, I hope I didn’t get in the way of any family traditions tonight,” she wrung her hands.

Drake took her hands and separated them. “Nah. My family’s not here anymore, so I wasn’t really expecting to do anything tonight.” He shuddered inwardly at how dark tonight could have been. 

“Anyway, tonight has actually been... well, it’s really been  _fun_. And if I’m being honest with myself, it’s felt a lot more like those special birthdays with my family than I thought it could...”

His voice felt like it might be close to cracking so he trailed off.

Riley put her other hand on his shoulder and smiled triumphantly. “Drake, are you saying I’m family now?”

It started out as a joking question, but as they looked at each other, their smiles faded. Drake stared at her, hoping to convey how much she meant to him, as much as any family he’d ever had. Maybe even more.  _Uh oh._

Drake swallowed, “... Not exactly. But... maybe we  _are_  friends. I’m glad you dragged me out.”

The moment was gone and so, eager to return to their easy friendship and teasing, he clapped her a little roughly on the shoulder. 

He got up, saying, “Anyway, we should call it a night.”

“Yeah...” answered Riley in a small voice.

He started towards the door when she pulled his arm. He turned and she hugged him on her tiptoes. As he’d now done multiple times, he melted into it, feeling her soft, sweet-smelling hair tickle his fingers, and her breathing under his arms.

Then she whispered, “I’m here for you... anytime.”

Without looking at him, she let go and hurried to the exit.

“Addams!” he called after her. He didn’t even have anything to say, he just didn’t want this to be over, whatever “this” was. 

She turned to look at him, her face completely serious for once. “Yes?”

_Fuck, she’s so beautiful._

He knew he’d come close to thinking that before, but he was still surprised by how forcefully he felt it.

“...Thanks.”

She smiled softly and left, leaving him alone.

_Shit. I have a crush on Addams._


	12. As Sweet as Apple Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the Apple Festival!

For the first time since the social season started, Drake had slept well. He woke up feeling refreshed and something akin to relief.

_Okay. So I have a crush on Addams. It’s fine, it’s not a big deal._

_I don’t think Liam would agree..._

The little voice he’d come to know and hate was back and looking to argue.

_... It’s not like he needs to know._

_Riiight, ‘cause you haven’t been obvious at all. He’s probably seen you, making googly eyes at her all the time, teasing her... He_ knows _you’re a shitty friend._

 _I’m_ not _a shitty friend!_

_Oh? Weren’t you the one trying to spend one-on-one time with Addams every chance you got?_

Drake ran his fingers through his hair, feeling anything  _but_  relieved. 

_Well, that lasted for like, 2 seconds._

He was wondering whether he could get away with blasting loud, thought-drowning music inside a stately royal manor –  _great, it’s like I’m 16 again_  – when there was a knock on his door.

“Ugh,” he groaned, “come in.”

“Hmph,” sniffed Riley, opening the door, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you weren’t happy to see me, Drake.”

“Addams!” he snatched the nearest shirt he could find and threw it on. “I am! Uh, happy to see you, that is. I just thought you were someone else.”

“Maxwell, huh?”

“I swear it’s like he’s sponsoring me, too,” grumbled Drake. “He wakes me up every day.”

“I’m glad you’re not a suitor! You’d sweep the floor with us!” Riley giggled.

“With my courtly manners? You better believe it. I’d be charming the crap outta Liam.”

As they laughed together, the little voice in Drake’s head cleared its throat.

_So... flirting are we?_

He stopped laughing.

“Anyway, what did you want, Addams?”

Riley froze mid-laughter, disconcerted by Drake’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Oh. Nothing, really. I guess I just wanted to talk to someone and... you’re the only one here that makes me feel... normal. Like myself, in a way.”

Drake couldn’t help the soft smile that played on his lips at this.  _Play it cool man._

“Well, shoot.”

“Um... okay? I think I’m just nervous about the baking competition.”

“ _You?_ ” asked Drake, incredulous. “Nervous? You basically bullshitted your way through the entire Cordonian Waltz! This should be a walk in the park.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve never baked anything before. I’ve actually burned pre-mixed brownies so...”

Drake snorted. “Well, well, Addams, seems like we’ve found  _your_ weakness.” He said the words without thinking and then immediately regretted them, remembering her words of the night before:  _“I thought_ I _was your one weakness.”_

Riley must have been thinking about the same thing because she blushed.

Drake hurriedly broke the silence. “Still, why come to me, Addams? You’re wasting valuable time Hana could’ve used to teach you.”

“True. Although according to Liam, you’re a pretty decent chef yourself.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. And I definitely can’t bake.”

Riley sighed. “Fine. I came here so you could tease me.”

Drake’s eyebrows knitted together. “What? Why?”

“It motivates me. Like a challenge, you know? I love proving you wrong,” she smirked, with fire in her eyes.

Drake gulped, actively holding himself back from kissing her. “Well, that I  _can_  do. There’s no way you can pull this off if Betty Crocker poses a problem for you,” he scoffed.

“Yeah, yeah, keep going.”

“Uhh... In fact, I’ll bet you your pie will be the worst one. No, I’ll do you one better. Your pie will be  _so_  bad, the Queen will actually make a face.”

“Ha! You’re on. What are we betting?”

“Come to think of it, you never even paid up for our last bet and, as I recall, you owe me three... somethings.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll settle that later,” Riley waved him off, a thoughtful look on her face. After a few seconds, her eyes brightened. “I know! Loser has to offer themselves up as court jester to the apple queen.”

“Nope. Not worth it.”

“Come ooon,” she whined, “Drake, I need thiiiis.”

She pouted, pleading with an adorable puppy face.

_I mean... how does anyone say no to this girl, ever?_

“Fine, I’ll do it. That’s how confident I am your pie is gonna suck.”

“Okay, you could actually say something nice now, to help with my confidence.”

“Can’t have it both ways, Addams.” 

She rolled her eyes with a smile, heading to the door.

“Hey, Addams,” he couldn’t resist calling before she left.

“What?”

“You know you’re gonna kick ass, right?”

“You ruined it,” she replied, though her smile and eyes were soft.

She came back and gave him a quick hug before walking out. 

He stood there for a beat or two, dazed. 

_Okay, I need to get this under control. No more flirty banter, no more teasing, this has to stop. After this bet._

Eager to escape any and all thoughts related to Riley Addams, he decided to go looking for a distraction after a quick shower.

To his dismay, the grounds were deserted, and their solitude and silence provided too many opportunities to think. He went back inside, looking for literally anyone to talk to – except for one person.

He poked his head into one of the palace’s many sitting rooms and felt his stomach flip at the sight of sleek black hair. He cleared his throat to announce his presence.

“Hi, Lady Kiara.”

“Oh,  _bonjour_ , Drake. I haven’t seen you much since our stay at Olivia’s estate. I’d begun to think _peut-être_  you didn’t care about me...” she said with a small pout.

“Um, no, of course not! I’ve just been, you know, busy.”

“Mhmm, I’m sure. Spending time with your friends... and Lady Riley.” She gave him a suspicious look.

Drake tried to swallow and choked on his own saliva instead, which triggered a coughing fit. Lady Kiara seemed oddly amused, but nevertheless got up from the elegant armchair she’d been occupying to thump his back.

Drake recovered, though not his pride. “Thanks,” he muttered. “But yeah, I’ve been hanging out with everyone, really! And, uh, the reason why maybe you-you’ve seen me with Riley more is ‘cause, um, Liam asked me so...” he trailed off, hoping that would be enough to change the subject.

“Did he? Good, I was beginning to think maybe you had feelings for her...”

“HA! No, no, definitely not. So anyway, what were you reading before I interrupted you?”

Drake felt cold sweat drying off on his skin. 

_Nobody can know about this stupid crush; I’m sure it’ll go away soon, anyway._

They walked back to the armchair. Kiara sat down, while Drake leaned on the armrest. She picked up her book, showing it to him.

“Madame Bovary by Flaubert. Have you read it?”

“Er, only the abridged version in school,” admitted Drake.

“Better than not having read it at all,  _non_?” she said kindly. “And what did you think?”

“I’m not sure I remember much, to be honest. Wasn’t it about a girl who had a bunch of affairs?”

Kiara giggled. “That may be an oversimplification, but essentially, yes.”

“You’ve read it before?”

“Oh yes,  _plusieurs fois_. It is a well-written tragedy, of course, but I also find it quite... sexy.” 

Her eyes flicked to his and held there. His mouth felt dry.

“Right. So are you reading it in French?”

“ _Bien sûr!_  It is the love language, after all.”

“Ha, all I ever learned to say in French was  _voulez-vous coucher_ –” He realized what he was saying only once he’d said half of it and found he had no choice but to finish, “ _avec moi...?_ ”

Kiara smiled widely. “Useful phrase.”

“Heh, I guess.” He rubbed the back of his neck

“Listen, Drake,” her voice was low and serious. Drake felt himself sweating again. “I am not usually this forward, but the social season is almost over and in all probability I will have to go back home once it is. Therefore, if you want to spend some... intimate time together before I go, come find me.”

Noticing Drake’s stunned face, she hastily added, “There’s no need to say anything now. The offer is on the table.”

She got up and walked stiffly to the exit. When she was on the threshold, she turned back and said, “I trust your discretion.” It would have seemed like an afterthought had her eyes not fixed his so earnestly. 

_Damn, that was a big risk to take! She’s got balls, that’s for sure. Saying that, knowing I could ruin her reputation? Not that I’d ever pull that kinda crap, but you can never know who to trust here._

_You’re rambling._

_No, I’m not!_

_Please, it’s so obvious! You’re trying to avoid actually thinking about her offer._

_Okay, fine. I just– I don’t know._

_You don’t know if you wanna have sex with a beautiful woman who speaks French? What is wrong with you?!_

_I don’t know! Maybe I will, okay? So much for a distraction._

He glanced at his phone and realized it was time for the baking competition. He reached the grounds just as the teams –  _I can’t believe Addams is stuck with Olivia_  – started baking.

“Drake! Over here!” Maxwell was waving frantically from a few feet away. Drake sighed and walked over.

“Hey, man, wasn’t yesterday fun?!” Maxwell seemed even more energetic than usual.

“First of all, it’s too early for this–”

“It’s like three in the afternoon!” he objected.

“Second of all,” Drake talked over him, “... yes, it was.”

“I KNEW IT! Does this mean we can celebrate your birthday  _every_  year?!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your roll there. It does not mean that. Honestly the only reason I went out was ‘cause,” he cleared his throat, “Addams convinced me.”

“Yeah, how come she’s the only one who could do it? We’ve known you longer!”

“Well, you’re not as pretty,” he half joked.

Maxwell seemed genuinely offended.

“Yes, I am! Drake, I’m like, a nine. Ten, when I dance, which is often.” He did a little shoulder shimmy.

Drake chuckled, “I’d say you’re a six when you’re annoying, which is all the time.”

“Hey!”

Drake shushed him, “The Queen is about to announce the winner.”

“After weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each side... I declare Olivia’s team the winner! This is one of the best apple pies I’ve had in a long time. Very well done, ladies.” 

Riley kept her composure long enough to say, “You honor us all, ma’am!” with a small curtsy. The audience broke into applause and Riley cheered, way too loudly for a dumb baking contest. Drake clapped enthusiastically, a huge smile on his face as he watched her hugging Hana with pure joy.

The Queen announced the next event was to be held further into the orchard, prompting the crowd to follow her as one to where a podium stood. The Queen ascended the few steps to it with her customary grace. 

“The Apple Blossom Festival symbolizes the growth vital to keeping our small nation thriving,” rang the Queen’s commanding voice. “Now, as is tradition, we will honor one distinguished, best dressed lady as this year’s Apple Queen. This is a ceremonial position for the people to decide. Last year, it was our very own, Lady Madeleine. 

“And I very much appreciated the honor,” simpered Madeleine with a bob of her head.

“As for this year...” the Queen continued, “Citizens of Cordonia, who do you wish to honor with this title?”

The crowd erupted into yells, the names blending beyond comprehension. Until, that is, the loudest yell of all came from Drake’s left.

“Riley!” yelled Maxwell with all his might.

Drake cupped his hands and joined him, “Riley!”

As seemed to be Maxwell’s signature talent, in no time he’d started a chant.

The Queen waved her hands, quieting the chanting audience down. “I think we have a clear winner. Lady Riley will be this year’s Apple Queen.”

He heard the press, somewhere in the front, repeating the announcement and adding enticing questions and speculations to it. He tried to catch a snippet but it was difficult with Maxwell whooping right in his ear.

“Wooooooo! Go Riley! Party like it’s 1299! All hail the Apple Queen from the Big Apple!”

The Queen shot an icy look in their general direction. Maxwell sniggered but stopped yelling. “Lady Riley, please join me for your ‘Coronation’”

Riley stepped up to the podium, too excited to be elegant. The Queen stared disapprovingly, yet handed her an apple-shaped golden scepter.

“Lady Riley, I pronounce you Queen of the Apples. Long live the Apple Queen!”

Riley bowed her head. “Queen Regina, it’s an honor.” 

She turned to the crowd, “Thank you all for electing me to represent you as the Apple Queen. I’m happy to accept this esteemed position, and I will treat it with the utmost respect.” She shuffled her feet. “What now?”

“My queen, I will serve as your acting seneschal and guide you through the ceremony. Before we proceed, we must fill out the Apple Court. These are the courtiers who will parade behind you. Who will be your cup-bearer? This person should be a close confidant you’d trust with your life.”

The Queen had barely finished her sentence when, without hesitation, Riley answered, “Drake.”

She looked straight at him and Drake felt blush creeping up his cheeks. He tried hard to suppress that and the goofy smile forming on his lips, to no avail. He went up to the podium and Riley handed him the cup, touching his hand briefly, but unnecessarily.

Trying to lighten the moment, he asked, "You know the cup-bearer tastes drinks for poison, right?”

Riley patted his shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”

He bowed to her deeply and, being as sarcastic as possible, said, “I am blessed to carry out your agenda, my queen.”

Riley rolled her eyes at him and gestured for him to stand on her right. 

The Queen handed her a fool’s cap. “My queen, if you’ll name your court jester.”

Again, after just an instant, Riley said, “Maxwell,” with a huge smile.

“Step aside, plebeians.” Maxwell extended his arms, making himself a path through the middle of the crowd. “Three-time jester MVP, coming through.”

He bounced onto the stage.

Drake leaned forward to inform him, “You’re not supposed to enjoy this.”

Maxwell arched an eyebrow, “I’m sensing jealousy.”

Drake scoffed and shook his head, “Forget I said anything.”

Riley put the cap on Maxwell’s head and flicked one of the bells on it, giggling.

“My queen, with your court assembled, it is your right to issue an edict before your people.”

Riley gazed out at the crowd and gestured with her scepter, “My people, thank you for selecting me as your Apple Queen! I’m here because of you... and I will be your faithful Apple Queen, the Apple Queen of the people!”

_She sure knows how to captivate an audience. That’ll come in handy when she’s queen for real._

Drake locked his jaw. A horse pulling a wagon stopped in front of the podium and Riley was helped onto it by a couple of guards.

“Oh, magnanimous Apple Queen, please show your generosity and share your bountiful harvest with us,” requested the Queen.

“Did I mention apples for everyone? You get an apple, and you get an apple, everybody gets an apple!” Riley yelled at the crowd. Drake found himself worried she might crowdsurf any moment.

Instead the horse started slowly pulling the wagon, parading the Apple Queen around her subjects as she tossed apples for everyone to catch.

Drake saw Riley get a determined look on her face. Following her eye line, he spotted Olivia.

“Drake, why are you smiling like The Grinch when he ruined Christmas?”

“Just watch, Maxwell.”

Riley grabbed and apple and threw it at Olivia. It hit her square in the chest.

Drake was laughing so hard, he had to hold on to Maxwell’s shoulder for support. 

“Oh!” cried Olivia.

“How do you like them apples?” asked Riley with a cheeky grin.

Drake wiped tears from his eyes.

“Very funny,” Olivia fumed.

“The Apple Queen’s power is absolute!” declared Riley.

_Damn, that’s the smallest amount of power I’ve ever seen go to someone’s head._

The wagon came to a stop in a spot of the orchard that was more or less bare. Riley hopped down and was handed a potted sapling by the Queen.

Drake did not pay much attention to the tree-planting ceremony; he was distracted by Hana’s arrival.

“Hana!” Maxwell hugged her from the side. Hana seemed surprised at his affection, but pleased.

“Hello, guys! I’m so glad I found you! I do like Penelope but there is only so much time one can talk about her poodles.”

“Yep, and for me it is exactly no minutes with zero seconds,” agreed Drake.

Hana laughed, pushing him playfully. “Well, anyway, how are you?” The question seemed innocent enough, and it could’ve been directed to both Maxwell and him, but judging by Hana’s piercing look, she meant Drake.

He replied, “Never better!” which might have been more convincing if he had ever said something like that before in his life. 

Maxwell, fortunately, was preoccupied with something else. “Oh, there’s Bertrand, I have to go talk to him.” He quickly disappeared through the crowd.

“Huh. I wonder what that’s all about. They’ve been acting weird for a while now. I mean, Maxwell did kind of explain but–”

“Drake.”

“But something doesn’t add up because–”

“Drake.”

“I just think something’s–”

“Drake! Stop!”

He had never heard Hana speak so loudly. He didn’t think it even qualified as a yell but by her standards, she might as well have screamed his ear off. It shut him up instantly.

“I know I said you didn’t have to tell me anything yesterday, but it just seems like you’re really hurting and I think it could help to–”

“To what exactly, Hana?! To talk about my feelings? To try to explain that I had never felt this way for anyone before? To have to face that it’s not just the wrong time but the wrong  _person_? No. I think I’d rather not, thanks.”

_Great. Now your little outburst left sweet, well-intentioned Hana speechless. Nice job losing all of your friends, asshole._

To his bewilderment, he felt an arm wrap around his waist and Hana’s head leaning on his chest. He squeezed her shoulder, hoping she understood he was grateful for her understanding and friendship.

“Yes. I do think that helps,” she finally said in a small voice.

He exhaled loudly and nodded. She let go of him as they heard the audience clap once more. Riley had planted the baby tree.

“Thank you, gracious Apple Queen,” the Queen was saying. “As for your final honor...”

Liam came up to the front, handsome as ever. He stopped in front of a smiling Riley and kneeled.

“You are entitled to a kiss, my queen.”

“Liam, I humbly accept your offer,” she blushed.

“As my queen wishes.”

The words were a gut punch.  _One day soon he will be calling her that all the time._

Riley offered her hand and helped Liam stand up. The crowed whooped as Liam planted a long, tender kiss on her cheek.

Drake turned to look at Hana only to find her already staring at him. He was certain she saw the same pain her eyes showed in his. Embarrassingly, Drake felt his eyes grow watery and averted them, though he thought Hana had had a similar problem.

“Yeah, um, I’m gonna go.” His voice sounded strangled. 

“Yes, me too.”

They parted in opposite directions, although it was obvious neither one had a destination in mind. 

When he was a few feet from the exit, Drake saw a familiar, rigid figure standing at the gates. He walked more purposefully towards Bastien.

“I’m sorry, okay?” he said, as soon as he reached him.

Bastien was staring straight ahead. Drake would’ve thought he hadn’t noticed him if he wasn’t acquainted with the man’s cat-like reflexes.

At length, Bastien asked, “For what?”

“Come on, you know.”

When Bastien said nothing and continued to avoid looking at him, Drake groaned in frustration and elaborated, “Everything! Being an immature jerk because you said I had feelings for Addams.”

Bastien gave him a sideways glance. “I understand. You’re forgiven.”

“No, Bastien, you  _don’t_  understand! Because the thing is, you were right! And I don’t know whether to thank you or punch you but you were right and now I can’t stop thinking about her but I have to because Liam loves her and she does too, I think, and even if she didn’t, she could be a queen! A QUEEN, BASTIEN!” He said all this in one breath, leaving him panting.

Bastien finally looked at him fully and put his arms on his shoulders.

“Drake, you need to calm down. I already knew I was right. To be perfectly honest, not only have you have been fairly obvious, but I have known you for years. I’d have to retire if I couldn’t tell you had feelings for Lady Riley.”

Drake gaped at him. 

_Shit, I knew I’d been obvious._

“Furthermore, as they say, ‘it ain’t over till it’s over.’ No matter how much you think you know Liam, you do not know his feelings... You barely even know your own. As for Lady Riley, I do not think you give her enough credit nor recognize her agency in this.”

After a long pause, during which Drake tried to form coherent thoughts, he said, “Okay, two things: one, I  _love_  that you said ‘ain’t’ and I hope to hear it again soon.”

“Not happening.”

“Two, you’re right, again. At least about Riley. I guess it’s just hard for me to believe  _anyone_  would choose me over... a whole kingdom.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. We don’t know what will happen at the Coronation.” 

Bastien’s normally still frame was fidgety.

“What’s up? Don’t tell me you’re nervous about the Coronation! You’re getting old, man.”

He’d said it with a smile, but he seemed to have hit a nerve, as Bastien snapped, “Shut up, Drake. It’s a hugely important event and I am under a lot of pressure.”

Drake balked at being told to shut up by his usually mild-mannered, if stern, mentor.

“What the hell, Bastien? Look, if you need help with anything you know I–”

“You can’t help,” he cut him off. He rubbed a hand across his face. “I’m sorry Drake, I shouldn’t have snapped like that. Now, I need to check on my men. I’ll talk to you later.”

He strode away, leaving Drake standing there, hurt and confused.


	13. Hunting for Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes horseback riding and visits some ruins.

Drake retired to his room early, not feeling up to enjoying the festivities. 

_God, this sucks. I have to get this under control. Am I just gonna feel like shit all the time now?_

Out of a sense of self-preservation he reflected he should probably keep his distance from Riley for the foreseeable future. He was shocked to realize that the thought of not being around her was more painful than seeing her with Liam. 

_I guess I do want Adams to be a part of my life…_

He flopped down unto his bed, trying to think of something that could distract him, when he felt his phone vibrate twice in his pocket. 

He pulled it out and read,  _“Hey, Drake! Where did you run off to?”_

And then a separate message, _“It’s Addams”_

His stomach did a somersault, seeing her call herself the nickname  _he_  called her. He’d already known it was her; Liam had given him her number “just in case”, as he put it, but Drake could never bring himself to text her. It would have felt like an even greater betrayal of Liam’s friendship. He had, however, spent more time than he cared to admit with his fingers hovering over the keyboard, staring at her picture and holding himself back from typing. 

_“You know me, Addams, always sneaking off”_

_“Yeah, but you could’ve asked me to come with you"  
_

_Right, like she wasn’t having fun with Liam._

He was wondering whether there was a way to phrase that so it was less obvious how bitter he was and then she texted again.

_“You’re welcome btw”_

_“For what?”  
_

He noticed she was already typing the moment he sent it. He was glad she didn’t play games with texting, didn’t wait long to reply, didn’t mind double-texting.

_“For not making you my court jester! You would’ve looked cute in that cap tho lol”_

_“Funny. So why didn’t you?”_

_“Well, you only made that bet to motivate me”  
_

The three dots were still on the screen so he waited. She seemed to be thinking especially hard about this text, as she took inordinately long typing it. Drake’s palms were sweating.

_“And… tbh, as soon as they said a cup-bearer is someone you trust I knew I had to say you”_

Drake was thankful he couldn’t choke or stutter through texts. He threw his phone on the bed and put his head under his pillow, completely overwhelmed. He couldn’t stop smiling, yet he felt close to tears at the same time. 

_Pull it together, man._

He took a few breaths to steady himself and grabbed his phone. He caught a glimpse of his dopey smile reflected on his phone’s dark screen before he unlocked it. 

_“You’re making me blush, Addams”_

_“You’re going soft on me, Drake ;)”  
_

_“Hey, thanks. I trust you too”  
_

_“No prob, I’ll have plenty of chances to beat your ass lol”  
_

He could practically see her smirk.

_“Ha, we’ll see about that”  
_

_“Well, I’d better go to bed, my alarm clock is waaay too chipper in the mornings”  
_

_“Is being queen even worth Maxwell waking you up every day?”  
_

_“I’m starting to doubt it haha”  
_

He knew she was kidding, but he still couldn’t help the stupid, senseless hope he felt at that.

She texted once more, _“Thanks for everything, Drake, I mean it. See you tomorrow?”_

_“Any time :) see you tomorrow”_

He set his alarm for the next morning feeling a little more optimistic. That was it, he just had to find the right balance with Riley. He could give her a break, for starters. Since his feelings would not be ignored, he could use them to be nicer and act like a real friend to her, for a change. Yes, instead of wallowing in his unrequited crush, he would try to grow and improve through this. 

With this in mind, he turned the lights off and went to sleep.

The next day he got up unusually early, determined to be a better version of himself. He started by finding Liam, who was enjoying a rare quiet moment in the stables.

“Hey, Liam!”

“Drake! This is a pleasant surprise! What brings you here so early?”

“I don’t know, we haven’t hung out in a while and I thought…” he trailed off. 

_I really have to get better at this friendship thing._

Liam looked touched, so much so that Drake felt his embarrassment grow.

“I’d like nothing better! How are you? Any news of Savannah?”

“Nothing. Radio silence. And her trail’s gone cold so…” he sighed.

Liam put a supportive hand on his shoulder, “Listen, if there’s anything I can do, all you have to do is ask. I’ve asked Bastien to look into it, but he seems to have a lot on his plate lately.”

“Oh, so it’s not just me?”

“That he’s been short with?”

“Short? More like a dick! Do you know he yelled at me yesterday for no reason?”

Liam raised a skeptical eyebrow, “No reason?”

“Okay, so I teased him a little but Liam, I swear, it was nothing compared to the pranks we used to pull on him!”

Liam chuckled. “Remember when we locked him out of the training room?”

“Or when we put those balloons behind the door?” Drake snorted.

“He was so startled when they popped he pulled out his gun!”

“Yeah, in retrospect I can see how that was actually pretty dangerous and not super fun for him,” admitted Drake, though he was still chuckling.

“It was very irresponsible,” agreed Liam. “We should really show him some sort of appreciation soon, especially if he is under pressure.”

“Good idea, but you should leave that to me; you’ve got enough shit to do.”

“Do I? Other than choosing a queen for Cordonia and my lifelong partner, my schedule is wide open,” Liam joked.

They heard footsteps getting nearer and Drake peeked out to see King Constantine approaching the stables.  _That’s my cue._

“I’d better take Morello, then.” He strode to one of the stalls, where a jet black horse whinnied excitedly. “Hey, boy.” He led him gently outside, grabbing a saddle on his way back to Liam. “Well, if there’s any way _I_  can help you, just say the word.” Drake clapped his back.

“I know, Drake, thank you.”

Drake waved goodbye and exited, his horse walking behind him. He briefly stopped to give the King a perfunctory bow. He ambled around the grounds, at peace for the first time in what seemed like ages. He’d missed Liam’s company. He was used to long periods of only seeing each other for quick conversations, but lately, his once-easy friendship had felt anything but. Now, with a clearer mind and knowing what he intended to do about his silly crush, it all seemed as simple as it used to be. 

In a secluded spot, he saddled Morello. He caressed its muzzle and the horse nickered affectionately. “I missed you, too, buddy. It’s been busy around here, you know? Busier than usual. New people and everything.”

He scratched behind its ears, lost in thought. He looked back towards the stables and saw most of the group already mounted. “All right, seems like everyone’s on their horses. You ready?” 

Morello neighed, which Drake took as a yes. He swung expertly onto his saddle and took the reins. “Now listen, if there’s ever been a time when we gotta look good, it’s this one, okay?”

The horse snorted and Drake patted its neck. 

 _Nothing wrong with trying to impress the suitors. It’s not like I’m making a move or anything. I just want her to know I’m good at_ something _._

He directed Morello at a slow gait toward the others. He’d decided to stay in the back, should anyone need any help.

_Nobles don’t tend to be good at much._

He smiled a little, remembering when Tariq had gotten his foot tangled in the stirrup a few years ago and sighed contentedly. 

_Yeah, today might be a good day._

He saw Riley up ahead and had already raised his hand to urge Morello forward with the reins, then thought better of it. 

_You’ll go up to her if it’s natural. Stop forcing it._

He settled in the last spot. After a few minutes of riding at a ridiculously slow pace, his gaze started drifting more and more often towards Riley, until he was fully staring at her. 

_I’m such a creep._

Try as he might, though, he couldn’t help looking at her, the shapes her lips made when she talked or smiled, how beautifully her hair moved in the breeze… 

_I’m gonna make myself sick._

She was currently having what looked like a surprisingly civil conversation with Olivia. 

_Yuck. She’s such a better person than I am._

A few minutes later, Hana was the one to approach her.

_Lovesick idiots that we are._

He shook his head fondly at Hana.

_God, I hope you come out of this better than me, kid._

Hana moved back to talk to the rest of the suitors. At the same time, Drake noticed Lady Kiara trying to catch his eye and ignored her as politely as he could. 

Out of desperation –  _fine, and also because I really, really want to talk to her_  – he called out to Riley, “Addams!”

She turned towards him, grinning. He returned her smile and waved her over. She immediately slowed down and let others pass her until she was at the back with Drake. He was pleasantly surprised at how well she commanded her horse. 

_Okay, here we go. Friends. We’re gonna be friends._

“There you are. You look like you actually know how to ride a horse.” 

_That’s something a friend would say, right?_

One of Riley’s hands flew to her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my gosh, opening with a compliment?”

“Careful, don’t want you falling off your horse now.” Drake smirked, though he still regarded her uneasily. 

_Friends worry about their friends!_

“I’m surprised you’re out here with all the nobles today.” It was phrased like a statement, but there was a question behind it. 

 _Well, obviously the truth is out of the question._  

“Turns out, I had an opening in my schedule today.” He grinned. “And there’s something oddly satisfying about watching nobles fuss over their stuffy blazers.”

Riley giggled. “Is this why you’re not frowning… as much as usual, anyway.”

Drake didn’t know whether to shake her or kiss her. 

_It’s you! You’re the reason! Okay, how do I make that friend-appropriate?_

“It has more to do with the company I keep.” That was probably the most sincere he’d been in the past year.

“A second compliment!” This time, Riley didn’t pretend to be shocked, she actually was. Her eyes shone as she looked at Drake, delighted.

“One more and you win the jackpot,” he winked. 

_If only I could actually give her anything._

“I hope it’s all your whiskey,” she teases.

It was Drake’s turn to act horrified. She pushed his shoulder and he smiled with a sigh.

“You know, when we first met, I wanted to dislike you so badly…” He was not sure why he was saying this.

_I guess I want our friendship to start on a clean slate._

Riley’s eyes were wide. “You WANTED to dislike me? Why?”

 _Of course she finds it unbelievable that anyone could dislike her, cocky jerk._  

He smiled to himself.

“You were crashing Liam’s bachelor party! It was supposed to be our last night out together before all of this… We’ve always been like brothers, doing everything together…” He thought of that morning, how spending a few minutes with him had felt like a privilege. 

“Now I’m lucky to see him for five minutes without a noble girl throwing herself in front of him,” he finished bitterly. 

After a moment of silence, he realized she might think he meant her and hurriedly apologized, “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

She put her hand on his for a second, her eyes understanding, “I know what you meant.”

Drake could not comprehend how the smallest of her gestures could calm him, make him feel better, like he  _mattered_.

_I have to stop getting so pathetically emotional over every little thing she does._

He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I know we got off to a bad start, but somewhere along the way… things changed.” 

 _Okay, stop it right there or you might go too far._  

“Hell, Addams, I don’t even know why I’m telling you any of this.” He rubbed a hand on his face, embarrassed at this outpouring of honesty.

Riley spoke, “Drake, I wanted to dislike you too.”

He looked up from his hands, taken by surprise, although he had no reason to be. “You did?”

“Yeah, I mean, you were a total jerk to me!” 

_Understatement of the year._

“But now…”

Drake hated how his voice practically trembled with hope, “Now?”

“It took time… but I figured out that you’re actually human under all those scowls,” she poked him.

_Of course. She barely even sees me as a friend, how could I have thought… Well, it doesn’t matter, being friends is already more than I deserve after the way I treated her._

He spotted Liam with his parents ahead. 

_There’s someone else I need to be better to._

“This has all been touching, but I need to rescue Liam from his family for a couple minutes.”

He heard Riley utter a small “Oh” as he rode ahead, and felt a twinge of guilt coupled with that insufferable emotion he’d been feeling constantly as of late, hope.

He reached them just in time to hear Queen Regina sing the praises of Madeleine, much to Liam’s apparent chagrin.

“Do you see what I am saying, Liam? Wouldn’t you agree that she is the superior choice?”

“She would certainly make an excellent monarch, son,” chimed in the King.

“She is a lady with many merits, yes,” replied Liam diplomatically.

“So is she the suitor you are most leaning towards, then?” prodded the Queen.

“I–I…”

“Liam!” Drake called, startling the three monarchs, who had been so absorbed in their conversation they had not noticed his arrival. “Wanna race ahead?”

“Loser does 30 push-ups!” Liam exclaimed, already urging his horse forward.

Liam was, of course, an accomplished rider. There really weren’t any rich people things you could afford to be bad at when you were a royal. However, Drake had spent more time in the stables than he had. And so, despite Liam’s exceptional instruction, he didn’t share the bond that Drake and Morello did. 

All this to say, by the time Liam caught up with him, Drake had time to pretend to be looking at an imaginary watch on his wrist.

“Liam, Liam, Liam,” he said, with shakes of his head. “You’ve really got me to thank for your abs, you know that, right?”

Liam chuckled. “That’s my secret; I lose on purpose so I can stay in shape.”

Drake snorted. “You keep telling yourself that, buddy.”

“Drake, thanks for that.” Liam’s relief was palpable.

Drake sobered. “No problem. You looked like you’d rather be at the bottom of the canyon so…”

Liam gave a humorless laugh. “Not quite, but almost. I don’t think they understand that I’m conflicted enough as it is.”

Drake perked up at this, “Are you? I… thought it was a done deal. That you were choosing Riley, that is.”

Liam shushed him. “Not so loud!” He ran his fingers through his hair. “What can I say? In my heart, it is, but unfortunately that is not nearly enough.”

Drake’s heart sank.

_Even if he doesn’t choose her, he’s in love with her. And he’s your best friend._

“Stop worrying so much, man, what’s that gonna do? Look, let’s just enjoy the feast today, huh? You still have a few events left to decide. Not to mention a Beaumont party to look forward to!”

“I’ll try. Although I must say, I am definitely looking forward to that! Their parties are really unparalleled.”

“That they are.”

He and Liam rode on in companionable silence until they reached the mountain village. It was charming and rustic, with its little cabins and huts surrounding a vast filed in which long tables had been set out, laden with food.

Once everyone had gathered round, King Constantine welcomed them, “Everyone, we’ve reached our hunting lodges. Our forebears would dine on the day’s hunt here, and though we no longer hunt, we will still have a great feast. But first, we race to celebrate our ancestors. The first to reach Prince Liam will be served first at the feast! Begin!”

Drake was torn between wishing he could participate – he was starving – and excitement at seeing the suitors race and possibly make a fool out of themselves. Except Hana, obviously. And Riley, he hoped… though that would provide an incredible opportunity to tease her.

_No. Friends don’t want their friends to look dumb._

He needn’t have chided himself, for Riley did well. She didn’t win – predictably, it was Hana who did – but she did a good job for her first time, in Drake’s opinion.

An image popped up in his mind, uninvited, of himself teaching Riley how to ride properly. They were all smiles and laughter… 

_Stop it, brain._

He forced himself to concentrate on what King Constantine was saying, “That’s superb horsemanship in action. Servants, prepare the first plate for Lady Hana. Now, then. Let’s all take some time to rest. Dinner will begin shortly.”

The crowd broke into smaller, more relaxed groups. He dismounted Morello and tied him to the hitching rail where all the other horses were drinking water and chewing on oats or grazing. He saw Riley talking to Tariq, weirdly. Liam was engaged in conversation with Olivia –  _no, thanks –_  and then he spotted Maxwell and Hana.

“Congratulations, Hana! That was some riding,” he admired as he approached them.

“Yeah, you kicked ass!” Maxwell agreed enthusiastically.

She blushed, “Thank you. I am glad I could put something my parents made me learn to use. If only to eat first.” 

“I think that’s the best prize you could get, I’m starving! Right, Maxwell?”

Maxwell was looking out at Riley, who was talking to Liam, with an uncharacteristically pensive expression on his face.

Drake waved a hand in front of his face. “Maxwell? Everything okay, man?”

“Wha–? Oh. Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

“Sure.” Drake eyed him suspiciously and shared a puzzled look with Hana, who broke the tension.

“Why don’t we go see what they’re up to?” 

The three of them walked over to Liam and Riley. Liam was, as Drake had come to expect, smiling widely, completely engrossed in whatever Riley was saying.

“Hey, the feast is being put out.” Drake pointed out when they’d joined the pair.

“And they’ve got dishes supposedly blessed by the spirits of the nearby ruins,” Maxwell informed them.

Hana’s face instantly lit up. “Oooh! I’ve heard legends about those ruins! They sound magical. People travel from all around just to see them.”

“It’s a shame we’re not scheduled to see them,” Liam frowned.

_Thank God! Bunch of old rocks._

Hana’s face fell as fast as it had brightened before. “We aren’t? I was so hoping to…”

Maxwell put a comforting arm around her shoulders and suggested, “Why don’t we just go anyway? Sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

_A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to miss out on delicious food, maybe._

“Are you sure we should?” Hana asked, cautiously eager.

_No!_

“It’d be nice to spend some time together without this crowd around,” Liam said. As always, he turned directly to Riley and asked, “What do you say, Riley?”

Riley had that familiar mischievous look she got when she was ready to break the rules. “Let’s have an adventure!”

Drake came close to protesting this decision, until he noticed that her face was practically glowing with excitement.

_Fiiine, I’ll go. Crushes are so stupid._

He shook his head at himself but kept quiet, not wanting to spoil the others’ fun.

“Alright!” Maxwell fist-pumped.

“I’m excited to visit another piece of Cordonian history,” gushed Hana.

Liam took the lead and gestured for them to come. “Follow me. I know how to get there.”

They walked away from the crowded field and into the adjacent forest.  _At least this I can enjoy._ Drake took in the lush trees, the leave-strewn path they were following and the mysteriously soothing sounds of nature surrounding them. He tried to see if he could spot any forest creatures, but aside from a few shuddering bushes, he didn’t see any; they had probably been spooked by the humans’ presence.

He breathed in deeply, feeling a bit better, despite the hunger. He realized he’d been walking next to Maxwell, who had been quiet the whole time. 

_What the hell?!_

“Hey, Maxwell, you know I’m not buying that ‘everything’s fine’ bullshit, right?”

“What? Why? Everything _is–”_

“Stop it. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Maxwell sighed. “Okay. I need someone’s opinion on this, anyway. You know how I’m sponsoring Riley?”

“You can skip the intro, Maxwell, I  _am_  the same guy who’s been here for everything,” Drake rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, sorry.” Maxwell was cracking his knuckles nonstop at this point. Drake grabbed his arms and forced him to stop.

“What is it? It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s not  _bad_ , it’s complicated. Riley might not be sure about this whole thing anymore.”

Maxwell looked so conflicted that Drake put an arm around his shoulders and said, “Well, being queen is a big deal, dude! Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll come around!”

“It’s not that. Or at least, not _just_  that. It’s… it’s Liam, too.”

Drake almost stopped walking and had to remind his feet to keep going.

Maxwell kept talking and Drake listened to him half-heartedly. “So I don’t know what to because on the one hand, she’s my friend now. I don’t want to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to! Especially something so big! And I know she feels pressured… I mean, who wouldn’t, with Bertrand? But on the other hand, House Beaumont desperately needs a win, now more than ever… er, for no particular reason.”

Drake was busy trying to calm his buzzing thoughts. 

_She’s not sure about Liam! Could it be that–?_

_No. There’s no way it’s because of you!_

_You can’t know that!_

_So what? Even if it is, you think she’s gonna give up a kingdom?_

His internal argument was interrupted by Maxwell taking a huge breath and continuing, “And then there’s Liam; he really, really likes her and he probably thinks she likes him back and I know it’s not my place to tell him but I feel terrible.”

_Right. Liam. You couldn’t do that to your best friend, either way._

There was no argument there.

“Drake? Are you going to say anything or…?”

“Oh, uh, yeah! I don’t think there’s that much to say except, Addams is going to choose whatever she chooses, okay? Even if Bertrand is pressuring her, she’ll do whatever she wants; she’s stubborn like that,” he smiled fondly. “And I guess you gotta trust that she knows.”

“Knows what?”

“Well, that she understands both the reason you brought her here in the first place and that you’re her friend. I’m sure she’ll do whatever she can to help House Beaumont  _and_  be happy. She’s one of those people that always finds a way, you know what I mean?”

“I do and I hope you’re right.”

“Psh, when am I not?”

Maxwell pushed him away. “When you said I wouldn’t dare ask the Queen to breakdance with me.”

Drake snorted, “You got me there. I underestimated how inappropriate you can be. And this is from a commoner.”

“I still think she secretly wanted to.”

“Right, maybe she just needed a few more glasses of champagne. Why don’t you try again at the next Beaumont party?”

“Don’t think I won’t.”

They spent the rest of the way laughing and coming up with stupid plans to get the Queen to breakdance.

“Here we are,” Liam announced from ahead of them.

The group moved forward out of the trees and into a clearing. Imposing, mossy stone ruins littered the place, most of them unrecognizable as buildings after so long.

“It’s so beautiful and serene,” Hana breathed out.

Without distractions, Drake’s hunger had returned with a vengeance. “Yep… sure are a bunch of old things here,” he shrugged.

Liam shook his head at him. “It’s so much more than that. There’s something so calm about this place. Can’t you sense it?”

They stood there for a few seconds, their own silence swallowed by the noises made by thousands of bugs and other small critters accustomed to their solitude.

As he’d come to expect, Maxwell broke their silence first, “The only thing I sense is about a million snakes and probably a couple of rock monsters getting ready to attack us.”

Hana’s eyes widened. “Rock monsters? Do you have any rock monsters in Cordonia?”

“It was a joke… just forget it.” Maxwell sighed in defeat.

“I want to find some ghosts,” said Riley, putting her arms up in a “spooky” stance.

“Ghosts?” Hana looked worried, again.

“Maybe one will tell me my future,” piped up Maxwell

_That’s not how ghosts work._

“Or devour your soul,” Drake replied in a creepy voice.

Riley shot him a look, “Drake.”

He smiled at her and shrugged. “I’m just saying, that is the likelier outcome!”

“Since some of us,” said Riley pointedly, “seem determined not to take this seriously, why don’t we split up? That way we can all explore however we want.”

“Or not explore,” grumbled Drake.

Riley rolled her eyes at him.

They went their separate ways. Too hungry to be curious, Drake found a rock that looked like it might be halfway comfortable and slumped against it. 

Hana’s already quiet footsteps were further muffled by the leaves and dirt, so he jumped when she addressed him, “Hi, Drake.”

“Hana! You scared the crap outta me!”

She giggled, “Sorry! I didn’t mean to.”

“Yeah, well, next time clear your throat or something.”

“Understood.” 

She slumped – somehow making it look graceful – next to him. 

“So how are you?”

“Same old. Acting like a dumb teenager with a crush, you?”

“Me too… although I never got to be a ‘dumb teenager’ so I wouldn’t know.”

“What are you gonna do about it? I just… I have no idea how to act or what to say or not to say.”

“I don’t think I’ll do anything about it at all. I am here as a suitor and that is something I must keep in mind. Not only that, but she’s my best friend… I don’t think I am prepared to risk our friendship.”

“Well, at least you have some sort of claim, you know? She’s your best friend. I’m… what? Her boyfriend’s best friend?” He scoffed.

They settled into a gloomy silence until Drake spoke again. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’d be risking your friendship. If she doesn’t… feel the same way, I’m sure she’ll understand.”

Hana thought about it for a long moment. “You may be right. I’m not certain I’ll have the courage, though.”

“Are you kidding? You came here from so far away and you’ve tried so many new things; of course you do! You have more guts that Liam, Maxwell and I combined. With Addams you might be evenly matched,” he chuckled.

Hana smiled. “Thank you, Drake. I only wish there was a way this could end favorably for everybody.”

Drake didn’t think that needed an answer. They all wished that. Hana patted his shoulder and left as quietly as she’d come.

Almost as soon her barely audible footsteps receded, Drake heard somebody else approach.

“Hey, Addams,” he greeted her.

She stood in front of him. “You look like you’re having a good time exploring,” she said with an arched eyebrow.

Drake grimaced. “Archaeology isn’t really my thing.” 

_Plus, I’m fucking hungry. Bordering on hangry._

“You could at least look around.” Riley gestured at the ruins. “It’s not like you come here often.”

“I looked around. There’s some old buildings. That’s about it.”

_What happened to being friendlier, dammit?_

“Hmm…” Riley considered what he’d said as if he’d actually made and interesting point instead of just sarcastic whining. 

“Don’t you want to know where you come from? And what about insight into how people lived long ago?” 

She sounded so fascinated it was almost enough to get Drake interested. Almost. “They could’ve ridden dragons for all I care. It doesn’t mean much now.” 

_There’s enough shit going on in the present, and shit to worry about in the future. Why look at the past?_

He could see Riley was getting tired of his attitude. 

 _Hell, so am I._  

She put her hands on her hips. “So why did you come out here if you don’t really care for these sorts of things?”

 _Because you looked adorably excited about it?_  

As had become common for him, he went with a different version of the truth, “I don’t think we’re going to get many more times like this.”

Riley tilted her head, “Like what?”

“I mean… Liam is going to be king soon.” He swallowed painfully. “And you could very well be his queen. Everything’s going to change.” He bit the inside of his cheek and looked down. What was he going to do the day of the Coronation if he could barely handle the thought?

To his surprise, Riley’s next words were, “You know, you’re right.” 

He looked up to see a fierce look on her face, “We don’t need to associate with the riff-raff. I mean, really, what could you even provide for us? A sense of grounding and humility?”

Drake shook his head but couldn’t help smiling a little. “I see what you’re trying to do here. It’s not going to work.”

“Or maybe someone to sneak us out of the palace? Why would we want that when we’re drinking champagne and shaking ambassadors’ hands?”

 _She sounds so sure. There’s no way Maxwell’s right, he probably misunderstood. She’s gonna be queen._  

His stomach clenched and he had to make an effort to focus on their back and forth.

“Yeah, yeah. Keep on punching down.”

Riley’s voice softened and she stepped closer. “Or maybe we’ll need a reminder that no matter how tough someone may seem on the outside, there’s a big, lovable softie on the inside.”

“Hey!”

She put her hands on both his shoulders and gave him a goofy smile. “Come on, Drake. There’s a smile inside you somewhere.”

Drake gave up and smiled with a laugh. “You’re the worst, Addams.”

“Would you have me any other way?”

_She’s gonna make me say something I’ll regret if she keeps asking those questions. Fuck no, I wouldn’t have you any other way. You’re amazing._

“Addams… We may have had some ups and downs between us, but I want you to know that I’ve enjoyed this little adventure with you. Not just the ruins, but the whole thing since I walked into your bar in New York.” 

He looked her straight in the eyes and tried to say something nice in the least romantic way possible. “You’re… you’re not bad.”

Riley seemed more moved by that than he’d expected. 

 _Maybe she understands I mean so much more than that_. 

“Awww, Drake, I care for you too.”

_Goddamn. I care so fucking much and I can’t stop._

“Addams… I…”

_Don’t say anything. Think of Liam._

He shook his head and sighed. He let himself meet her eyes; there was such an intense, yet soft look in them. He felt his gaze slowly make its involuntary way down to her lips. He couldn’t remember wanting anything as badly.

“You’re something else…” he choked out. 

He heard her inhale sharply through her lips. She blushed, breaking their eye contact and putting her arms down.

_I went too far._

“Now, we really need to get you out of here before you completely lose it.” The conversation was light-hearted again. “All this reflecting isn’t healthy for you.”

“You’re right. If I stay much longer, I might melt into a big ball of mush,” he shuddered. He had to stop putting himself in these situations; he’d come so close to saying or doing something he shouldn’t…

“Let’s go find the others.” He started walking towards the edge of the forest without looking back. Everyone else was already there.

“That was lovely,” said Liam.

“There weren’t any ghosts,” Maxwell complained.

“Why are you sad about that?” Hana seemed to grow more confused by Maxwell the more she knew him.

He shrugged, “I don’t know, I’m kind of curious what a ghost would have to say. Would’ve made a good story.”

“You can always lie. I’ll back you up,” offered Drake.

“There’s an idea!” he exclaimed.

Unexpectedly, Riley wrung her hands nervously, “Maxwell, please don’t tell me any ghost stories.”

“I won’t tell it to  _you_. You’ll be a supporting character in the story.” 

“Do I survive?” she asked with hope.

“No.”

“Aww…”

“Hah,” Drake mocked her.

Maxwell put an arm around Riley and reassured her, “Drake is the first to die, though.”

“Hey!”

Liam chuckled along with everyone but Drake, and then said, “Alright, everyone. It’s time to head out.”

Riley took one last look at the ruins, sounding resigned, “These ruins were bigger than I thought.”

“Could’ve used an open bar in my opinion,” muttered Drake.

Maxwell, who apparently was almost as hungry as Drake, urged them on, “The feast is waiting for us back at the village! Let’s go!”

“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had. Including sponsoring Addams,” said Drake, earning him a push from Riley.

The walk back to the field seemed much longer to Drake, eager as he was for something to eat. 

When they eventually reached the banquet tables, he was relieved to find them still heaping with food; he’d been anxious it would all be gone by the time they returned.

“Wow… That’s a lot of meat!” Riley’s mouth was watering as she looked at the many cloches piled with different types of roasted meats.

“It’s not exactly a feast without it.” Drake said this as he loaded his plate with everything he could reach.

“A little more fruit couldn’t hurt,” Hana murmured, eyeing the comparatively few options a little sadly.

“I wouldn’t mind putting a bunch of fruit on a stake and waving it around like a sword.” Maxwell was already looking around the tables, trying to find something stake-like.

“Alright, let’s grab our food before Maxwell gets any other crazy ideas,” Drake interrupted.

Maxwell spotted a watermelon and grinned. “And then I could wear a watermelon as a helmet…” He smirked. “I’d be unstoppable.”

Drake had to forcibly remove Maxwell from the table before he could carry out any of his plans. Riley got him a bit of everything – except for watermelon – and brought both her and Maxwell’s plates to where Liam and Hana were already sitting. 

Maxwell revealed a champagne bottle he’d managed to swipe from the table before Drake took him away. 

“I’ll go get glasses!” Hana volunteered, and darted to the table to get five of them.

Maxwell popped the champagne and poured some for everyone. He then stood up and raised his glass.

“A toast to all of us and to our friendship!”

“To friendship!” chirped Hana.

“Ugh… to friendship,” agreed Drake reluctantly. 

_It’s only all I’ve thought about today._

Liam smiled at them all and said, “To friendship.”

“To friendship!” exclaimed Riley.

They clinked their glasses and drank. 

_Damn, if I didn’t get lucky with these people._


	14. Fair Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake semi confesses his semi love.

The country jamboree. Drake’s least favorite event in the social season – not including anything involving Olivia Nevrakis, of course. Still, Drake walked out of his room that day feeling cheerful; yesterday had been a success in terms of being friends with Riley.

_You did have to hold yourself back from kissing her a couple times._

_But did I? Nope! And that is success in my book. I’m gonna do it; I’m gonna beat this crush._

He whistled an improvised tune as he strode out after brunch to find a beautiful sunny day. Remembering their last interaction, he magnanimously decided to go talk to Bastien, who was standing at the gates.

“Bastien.” Okay, so he wasn’t completely ready to forgive him.

“Drake! It’s good to see you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yes. I’m sorry I was short with you the other day.”

“See, that’s how Liam put it too, but I think I’d use a different word.”

Bastien frowned. “... A dick?”

“Ding ding ding!”

“I suppose that’s not far from the truth,” said Bastien ruefully. “Well, as I said, I’m very sorry. I just hope you can understand that...”

Bastien seemed to be having difficulty speaking; if Drake didn’t know any better he’d think there was a lump in his throat. He swallowed hard.

“I hope you understand that duty will always come first.”

Drake clapped his back. “Hey, you know I totally get that! I understand you can’t always talk! Only next time, maybe instead of being a dick you could just say that, okay?”

Bastien sighed. “Yes. I will.”

Drake smiled at him and turned to leave.

“Drake,” he heard behind him. He turned to look at Bastien squinting from the sun. “I really am sorry.”

Drake nodded, still smiling in hopes of reassuring Bastien, who was taking this way too seriously, in his opinion.

He ambled back towards the manor, not ready to face the jamboree with its variety of stupid games. 

_That I suck at._

Once he got closer to the enormous wooden doors, he could hear someone coming down the stairs. He stopped and waited; he wouldn’t say no to company either way. He realized with a stab of annoyance that he was hoping it was Riley.

_Okay, stop. Whoever that is, I’m gonna keep rocking this friendship thing._

It was maybe because he mentally prepared himself this way that he only felt a small hint of dismay when Hana emerged from the threshold. He quickly covered it up with an easy smile.

“Hey, Hana!”

“Hi!”

If he’d been smiling it was nothing to the way Hana was grinning from ear to ear.

“Uh, why are you smiling like that?”

“Like what? Oh!” Hana’s hands flew to her cheeks as if she hadn’t realized what she’d been doing.

For a brief, awful moment Drake thought something might have happened with Riley. He pushed the image aside, chastising himself both for his selfishness –  _friends want their friends to be happy!_  – and for indulging his crush –  _friends don’t care who their friends kiss!_

_I’ve definitely been quiet for too long._

“So are you gonna tell me or what?” It came out harsher than he’d intended in his haste to say something.

Hana’s smile faltered a bit, “Oh. Yes, sorry. My Mom called and she-she was making me feel dreadful; she said I was being a disappointment and that I shouldn’t be making friends at court..."

Drake grimaced sympathetically.

“Yes, it was very distressing. Until Riley,” at this point her smile came back in full force, “intervened. She reminded me that this is _my_ life and  _my_  choices and... well, she essentially gave me the courage to stand up to her for the first time in my life!”

Hana looked so utterly happy that it was contagious. Drake found himself grinning along with her and feeling an unfamiliar warmth in his chest.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Despite the pain.”

Drake tilted his head, completely nonplussed, “Huh?”

“Liking someone so deserving of it.”

That’s exactly what it was. Every time he heard of Riley doing something kind or intelligent –  _which is all the time, dammit_  – he couldn’t help but feel... joy. It was like an extreme form of pride, in a way. Proud of himself for having a crush on such an amazing person; proud of her for  _being_  that amazing person.

He just sighed and nodded. 

_It’s not looking good for our friendship. Pretty sure I’m gonna start writing poetry or some shit._

“Well, thanks for checking in on me, Drake, but I should go. I only went into the manor to get bandaids.”

For the first time, he noticed Hana was holding a small box of bandaids.

“Maxwell,” he said without any doubt.

“At the archery station. What I don’t understand is how he managed to hurt himself with a  _bow_...” Hana shook her head, mystified.

Drake shrugged. “This is Maxwell we’re talking about. We should feel lucky we only need bandaids and not paramedics!”

Hana giggled, “That’s what Riley said!”

Drake chuckled. “Great minds and whatever. But anyway, I shouldn’t keep you, go save that kid’s life.”

Hana hurried off toward the games. Drake stood there for a moment, trying to get back to the calm, certain headspace he’d been in until a few minutes ago. 

_Maybe if I just spend some time with her as friends, I can remind myself what it’s supposed to be like._

With that goal in mind, he directed his steps to where Hana had gone, positive that Riley would be playing something; in the thick of the action, as usual.

He was right, and he immediately wished he hadn’t been, for Riley and Liam were playing a very flirty game of ring toss. He stopped abruptly when he spotted them, then moved to the side so he could watch them from a less conspicuous place. 

_Like a masochist stalker._

In fact, the game was just ending and it seemed Riley had lost. 

_F_ _inally, something we both suck at!_

He smiled at that, but it was fleeting, as he saw Riley and Liam make their way, smiling and talking, to the hedge maze. He felt the by-now familiar gut punch he always experienced when he saw them together. This time, however, it seemed to spread from his stomach all the way up to his chest like some kind of poison, eating him alive from the inside.

_Goddammit. Who the fuck am I kidding?! I can’t be friends. I can’t. At least, not now._

He stomped back to the manor, wanting nothing more than solitude. And maybe some whiskey and dramatic music to go along with it. He must have been making a racket because he heard a voice call from the sitting room.

“Who’s there?”

He poked his head in and found Lady Kiara sitting in the same armchair she’d been using two days ago.

“Drake! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you’d be out there enjoying the games.”

“Nah, not a big fan. What about you? Shouldn’t you be mingling or something?”

“Bah, and what for? Prince Liam has disappeared again, with Lady Riley I’m sure, and I don’t like those games either.”

“Good point.”

She gestured for him to join her and with halting steps he went to her, sitting uncomfortably on the armrest.

“So... what are you reading this time? More sexy French books?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “No, I have been skimming this landscape photography book.”

“Oh, cool! I love nature.” Drake had to restrain himself from leaving the manor or possibly the country after that. 

_Really? I love nature? How fucking interesting, idiot._

Lady Kiara was gracious enough to disguise a derisive laugh as a cough.

“So what kind of landscapes?” he asked in desperation.

“Oh, there’s all sorts! But I am particularly partial to the photographs of the vineyards in California and France. They remind me of my home,” she sounded far away when she said that.

“You have vineyards there?”

She snapped back to reality and turned to look at Drake eagerly. “Oh, yes. We make some of the finest wines in all of Cordonia,” she puffed up with pride. “We might even go toe to toe with the French,  _en fait_.”

“And everybody knows the French make the best wine, right? The more unpronounceable the names the better?” Drake chuckled. 

Kiara, on the other hand, did not look amused. “I would hardly say something like Bordeaux is unpronounceable, would you?”

Drake felt his neck grow hot. “I was kidding,” he muttered.

Kiara seemed not to have heard him, still engrossed by the photos. She flipped the page to yet another picturesque vineyard and suddenly her hand was on Drake’s knee. He glanced down at it automatically.

“I wish you could see it! The hot summer days, picking grapes and then crushing them with your feet...” she trailed off, looking up at Drake, whose mouth was inexplicably watering. 

“Sounds,” he cleared his throat, “sounds nice.”

“It’s better than nice,  _c’est magnifique!_ ”

“I-I’m sure.” He peeked down at his phone. “Oh, look, it’s time for dinner!”

“Right.” Kiara’s hand fell from his knee. “Well, let’s go, then.”

Kiara waited for Drake to get up and help her off the armchair. Once she was standing, she cleared her throat, looking pointedly at her arm.

“Oh, uh, yeah!” Drake offered her his arm and they walked out together in what, at least to him, felt like an awkward silence. He had the chance to feel relieved for a few seconds, before he realized they would probably sit together as well. 

He was right. He sat down next to her and involuntarily scanned the crowd. It took him longer than usual to find Riley, which he was cautiously pleased about until he came to the conclusion that it was only because of her company. 

_What the hell is she doing with Tariq?_

The fashionable noble appeared to be flirting and Riley looked hilariously bewildered. He almost snorted. Riley managed to extract herself from Tariq and took her seat at another table nearby, next to Maxwell and Bertrand.

He was wracking his brains, trying to come up with something to talk about with Lady Kiara, when he heard the blessed sound of a clinking glass.

“If I may have everyone’s attention, please,” came Liam’s voice. “I’d like to say a few words before we close this evening. First, I’d like to thank all of you for joining us out here at the country estate. I’ve had the honor and privilege to have you in my court, and I couldn’t have asked for better company.” 

He smiled out at the crowd as he said this. It may have been Drake’s bitterness, but he thought he saw Liam’s gaze linger on Riley.

He continued, “As I step into my father’s place in a few days, I can only hope that I’m half the man he’s been for Cordonia.”

“Long live Prince Liam!” Maxwell yelled from his table with cupped hands over his mouth. 

Cheers and claps erupted from all around. 

 _Yeah, yeah, Liam’s great._  

Drake couldn’t bring himself to clap.

Liam gestured for everyone to quiet down. “Thank you all. When next we meet like this, it’ll be the last event of the social season. As per tradition, this event will be hosted at the illustrious Beaumont House.”

“Yeeaaahhhhhh!” Maxwell exclaimed with both arms up.

Bertrand, ever the solemn one, agreed, “An honor, to be sure.”

He noticed Riley sharing surprised words with the brothers. 

 _Huh. How_ are _they gonna host that? Aren’t they broke?_

“The Beaumonts will surely give us another legendary night to remember.” 

When Liam said that, Drake felt Kiara’s hand squeeze his leg and nearly jumped out his seat. Looking mildly amused, she whispered, “It could certainly be a night to remember.”

Drake swallowed, although at the same time his mouth felt impossibly dry.

He barely heard Liam finish his toast with, “Until then, I thank you again, and wish you a good night.” He raised his glass and most people followed suit. Feeling guilty for his lack of applause earlier, Drake raised his own.

“Cheers!” Liam said, and the crowd echoed him.

Drake turned to Lady Kiara and as they clinked their glasses together, he murmured, “To legendary nights.”

For a split second, Kiara’s face was delightedly surprised. An instant later, she had regained her composure and was smirking at him.

_Fuck, she might really like you. You’re an asshole._

_Oh, come on! We’re both consenting adults and clearly there’s nothing I can do about... the other thing, so why shouldn’t I have some fun?!_

_Whatever, dude, you know what you are._

He drained his champagne in one gulp.

Dinner went by in a blur of delicious food and flirty conversation. Of course, they couldn’t make it too obvious – Kiara had a reputation to maintain, after all – so once in a while she’d turn to her other side to talk to Penelope.

By the time they’d all finished eating, he felt drained. It had been such a long day, and it had taken his emotions for a ride. For someone who for years had felt either bitterness or a lukewarm contentedness, it was a lot.

As soon as it was barely polite to leave, therefore, he scurried away to his room. He lied down on his bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

“Eeeeeeek!”

Something shook him out of his deep sleep. 

_Did someone scream? Or was I dreaming?_

He could’ve sworn he heard it come from the room next to his. 

_Addams’ room. But what if I dreamed it and I barge in there and wake her up? Or even worse, what it she’s awake... with somebody._

He weighed his options and concluded that he could not stay in his room while she might be in danger. And if he embarrassed himself, he embarrassed himself. He got dressed as quickly as he could, which was not very; flustered as he was, he put his pants on back to front and furiously corrected his mistake. Finally decent, he flew out of his room and threw Riley’s door open, caution be damned.

He found Tariq and Riley kissing. Or, should he say, Tariq kissing a very clearly unwilling Riley, who pushed him away as soon as she recovered from the shock.

Anger like he couldn’t remember feeling flooded Drake. Without thinking, he was by Tariq’s side in a second. “Get away from her,” he growled.

He seized Tariq by the shoulder roughly and dragged him away from Riley.

“Unhand me!” wailed the noble. ”How dare you enter my room without my permission!”

Tariq pulled the arm that wasn’t in Drake’s grip back and punched him square in the face. He reeled backwards in shock, his hand going to his jaw right away. He took a moment to get his bearings, then tackled Tariq with all his might. On the floor, he put up more a fight than Drake expected, rolling around and trying to pin him down. Drake struggled against Tariq’s hands and managed to flip him around once more and pin his arms.

Tariq tried to fight back a few more times. He must have known it would be useless though, because he went slack, conceding defeat. Breathing hard, Drake stood up and waited for Tariq to follow, glaring at him, daring him to attack again.

Tariq limited himself to yelling, “Who the hell do you think you are, bursting into my room?”

“This is  _Riley’s_  room. And I heard a scream.” For the first time, Drake allowed himself to doubt the conclusion he’d jumped to. “I think she wanted interrupting.”

He turned his head sharply to Riley, dreading she might contradict him.

With fire in her eyes, she replied, “Drake, Tariq deserves to have his ass kicked.”

He sighed in relief.

Tariq seemed to have shrunk. “So this isn’t to be the bold, romantic beginning to our love story?”

Riley crossed her arms and gave him a firm, “No.”

“But... I’d heard...” Tariq was looking at the floor, ashamed and confused. 

_You almost feel for the guy._

“You heard wrong. And for the record, before you try to kiss someone,  _ask_ first!” Riley said, her nostrils flaring.

_Yeah, never mind, he’s a piece of shit._

Tariq flushed. “Let me deeply apologize here. I’m so sorry for this transgression. I was incredibly wrong.” He started heading to the door. “Now, before I can humiliate myself any further... let me take my leave.”

He left, slamming the door after him.

Riley rounded on him. “Drake, what took you so long?”

Not wanting to go into the details of his clothing mishaps, he answered, “I know I’m in the room next to yours, but it still took me a minute to make it over here.”

“Why are you in the room next to mine, by the way?”

“Liam made sure of that. Since he couldn’t be here himself, I mean.” 

_And instead of looking out for Addams, you crush on her and fall asleep when she’s in trouble. Nice going._

“Liam would never forgive me if something... bad... happened to you.” 

There was a small silence and on impulse, he added, “And you know what? I’d never forgive myself, either.”

Having entered the room worried out of his mind and in a rush, he hadn’t had the presence of mind to register that Riley was not wearing a shirt. Until now.

_Oh, shit. Ohshitoshitohshitoshit. Don’t be a creep. Don’t look at her. Oh my God, I looked. Holy shit._

She was wearing a lacy pink bra, which contrasted against her pale skin, which was luminous in the moonlit room, and her breasts –  _fuck me, her boobs are RIGHT. THERE –_ looked incredible. Drake had seen his fair share before, both in real life and in videos, but damn if there weren’t his favorite pair ever. It’s not like he hadn’t checked her out since he’d known her, but this was different. This brought him mental images he didn’t – couldn’t – want. 

He licked his lips unconsciously, noticing a beauty mark right at the upper edge of the bra. 

_Okay, that’s enough or she’ll kick you out, too, you perv. Goddamn, this is gonna haunt my dreams._

He cleared his throat, “Er, Addams...”

“What?”

He glanced down again, forcing himself to make it a very quick, significant look.

“OH!” She blushed a deep red and reached to the chair where she’d carelessly thrown her top. She put it on hurriedly, and Drake was satisfied to see he was not the only one who had problems with hastily thrown-on clothes; she’d put her shirt on inside out.

Drake tried to pull his mind away from images of Riley and her bra and focus on the conversation. “Anyway, you can see why it looked bad. I heard a scream, saw you half naked with Tariq all over you...”

“Yeah, I get it.” Riley sank onto her bed.

Drake’s eyebrows furrowed with concern, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She sounded shaken. He couldn’t blame her.

_I wish I could stay and comfort you. I wish I could put my arms around you, but that would be... dangerous._

Instead, he said, “Well, I should get out of here before we  _really_  cause a scandal.”

He headed to the door and as he leaned in to grab the handle, he winced. He might have hurt himself tackling Tariq. 

_Man, fuck nobles. Seriously._

He tried to play it off as nothing, grabbing the doorhandle, but of course she’d seen.

“You’re hurt.” He knew he shouldn’t be enjoying her worrying about him as much as he was.

He dropped the handle and turned to her, shrugging, “Nothing a few shots of whiskey won’t fix.”

She stood up and took a couple of steps toward him. “Let me take a look. It’s the least I can do.”

“You trying to get me to take my shirt off, Addams?” he smirked, hoping she’d let it go. 

_I need to get out of here._

She said, “I just want to help,” but blushed again, which made  _his_  collar grow warm.

 _I need to leave NOW._  

“I’m fine. Save your fussing for someone else.” He turned to the door once more, ready to escape Riley with her eyes full of concern for him, and her lips saying kind words, and her  _pink fucking bra._

He should’ve known, but he still didn’t expect it when she stepped in front of the door, blocking his way. The look in her eyes let him know he was definitely not going anywhere.

“Drake, you got hurt for me. I’m not letting you leave this room until you let me take a look at you!” She crossed her arms. “You can start by taking off your shirt. I think he hit your ribs pretty hard. They could be broken!”

Drake scoffed. “Wow, you’ve got a real bossy side to you, you know that?”

She put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “You think I’m being bossy? Drake, I’m taking that shirt off you myself.”

Before he could utter anything other than a startled, “Hey...” he felt small, warm hands grab the hem of his shirt and lift it. He cooperated and took it off, trying his best not to think about how much he’d like her to say that in a different context.

“So, doctor, do you see anything alarming?”

Her hands ghosted over his ribs and then his back. He suppressed a shudder.

“You’re going to have a few spectacular bruises...” she grimaced.

“Yeah, Tariq hits harder than you’d think. He almost impressed me.”

She didn’t say anything back but he thought he saw the corners of her lips twitch.

He narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”

Riley snorted. “I can’t believe you lost a fight to Tariq!”

It took Drake’s wounded pride a moment to recover from that. “I didn’t say I  _lost!_  I never said that. I definitely won. I’m just saying he got in some good hits. And I didn’t expect that from a palace brat.”

“Mmhmm,” she hummed, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

He shook his head at her and ran his fingers through his hair.

“You can be so...”

 _Irritating? Funny? Smart? Fucking incredible? ... Yeah, I’d better shut up._  “Never mind.” 

He cast about for a distraction. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to be tending to my wounds?”

Riley smacked a hand to her forehead. “Oh! Right. I think one of the servants fills this bucket with ice every night. You know, in case I need to chill some champagne...” She said the last part in a mockingly snobby voice.

“Or ice down a friend’s bruises.” He knew at this point that friendship was all but futile, but he was going down fighting.

“Exactly.”

Drake noticed a small cabinet on the opposite end of the room. “And it looks like someone’s left a fully stocked liquor cabinet in the corner here, so...”

He went to it and poured himself a glass of whiskey – one the finest, obviously – and looked over at Riley, who was putting ice in a cloth.

She nodded, “I’ll have whiskey. I wouldn’t make you drink alone.”

He smiled. “Heh. Thanks.”

He poured another one and handed it to her. She put it on the bedside table so she could more easily handle the improvised ice pack. She pressed it on his ribs and he hissed in pain.

“Hey! That hurts.”

He regretted the words as soon as he said it. 

_Knowing Addams, she’s gonna crush the ice against my body now._

Yet,to his surprise, she touched it to his wound much more gently. It still stung, but not nearly as much. 

_Will she ever stop amazing me?_

“Is that better?” she asked tenderly.

“... Actually, yeah. Didn’t realize you could be so gentle, Addams.”

“I’ve got a gentle side... you just don’t see it very often.” She continued patting him softly with the ice pack. Occasionally, she would rub her thumb soothingly over the areas she’d gone over. He knew he had the dumbest smile on his face.

“I could stand to see more of it.” It was meant as a jab at first, then he realized he would actually love to see that side of her more. Just him. He looked in her eyes and, for the umpteenth time, felt he might ruin everything if he held her gaze for too long. 

He looked down at his glass and muttered, “Thank you.” 

He drained it and went to pour himself more. 

_Bad idea._

“I know I don’t act very grateful for anything most of the time, but I do... care about you.” He’d said it before, only this time it felt more high stakes. They were alone and unlikely to be interrupted. He was shirtless. He shouldn’t be saying anything at all.

She moved a step closer and murmured, “Drake, I care about you too.”

She had also said this before, but this felt... different. There was an ache in her voice he hadn’t noticed before. 

 _You’re imagining things. How can she even care about you?_  

“You... you do?”

Her answer came without hesitation and full of conviction. “Yes.”

He rubbed his face and clenched his jaw. “You shouldn’t say things like that, Addams.”

“Why not?” He knew her more than well enough by now to see that she was honestly puzzled. That’s how he knew she cared about him only as a friend. 

_Hell, I’ll explain it anyway._

He was in too deep and the whiskey, though not enough to get him drunk, had certainly encouraged him.

“You’re here for Prince Liam. All of the suitors are. And, well, so is the entire court. All of the nobles, all of the royals, all of the servants, even. Everything and everyone in this place exists to orbit around Liam. You could almost hate him for it, if he weren’t so damned likeable.” He shook his head. “It’s dangerous for people like you and me to forget that.” 

_Mostly me, really._

Riley still looked confused, but there was something else in her expression. Drake wouldn’t have believed it, except he’d become so closely acquainted with that emotion lately that there was no mistaking it: hope. 

“What are you getting at, Drake?”

He sighed. 

 _Are you happy in this hole you dug for yourself?_  

“Hell, Addams. Don’t make me say it.”

He looked down at his glass again. 

_Here goes nothing._

He finished his drink again and set his empty glass down next to her full one. His hand was trembling.

“If we’d met somewhere else... anywhere else. At a club in New York, or in an airport, or at a party... If you hadn’t been our waitress that night, and I hadn’t been sitting next to Liam...” He mustered all of his courage, balling up his fists. 

“Do you think all of this... do you think it could’ve been different...” he swallowed, “between us?”

_Say no. Just say no and kick me out. Do it._

“Drake...” she said slowly. “It would’ve been different.”

Drake inhaled sharply, wanting desperately to believe what she had just said.

“Sure, you would’ve still been gruff and I wouldn’t have let you get away with anything... But all the rest? Yeah, it would’ve been different.” They were standing so close. “Maybe  _everything_  would’ve been different.” 

She emphasized the word “everything” in a way that made his stomach flip. 

_Everything. That’s what we could be._

_She said yes!_  

He could not wrap his head around the fact that she might return his feelings, even in a hypothetical scenario. Right now it didn’t even seem that hypothetical; her eyes were an invitation and it had never been harder to resist kissing her.

“Riley...”

He reached out, brushing his fingers on the back of her hand. He’d always thought that saying you could feel electricity when you were really attracted to someone was a cliché. 

_Well, maybe it is, but it is also true._

He felt the hairs on his hand stand on end. 

_This is no shitty electric current either, it’s goddamn lightning._

Riley looked down at their hands and her fingers twitched, itching to intertwine with his. 

He panicked and dropped his hand. “What am I doing? I need to go.”

He made as if to sprint out the door, when he felt to soft arms wrap around his waist. It was not the first time he’d had the wind knocked out of him that day, but definitely the first time that made him so happy.

Fighting against everything he wanted, he forced out, “Addams... You shouldn’t.” 

_Or I’ll stay. I’ll go too far. This is impossible. What if anybody sees us? What if... Liam._

“Don’t you get tired of being so careful all the time?”

He closed his eyes and bit his lip. She’d hit the nail on the head, as she always did. He was sick of this. Sick of every second he couldn’t kiss her or even hold her hand.

“Constantly,” he said in a strangled voice.

Before he had time to think it, he turned around and pulled her close, her head resting perfectly on his chest. He tangled his fingers in her hair and breathed in, knowing he would never get this chance again, marveling at how soft it felt, how amazing it smelled. 

_This is... this is just... unbelievable. I get to hold her like this._

If it had been hard not to kiss her before, Drake’s effort now was nothing short of superhuman. Her smell and touch were invading all his senses and he knew he was close to losing control. 

_I have to leave while I still have brain cells and before I fuck up even worse._

He pushed her away gently but firmly and tried to ignore the hurt in her eyes.

“I’ve got to get out of here. Now. Before I do something we might both regret.” He looked down at her lips.

Riley was resigned. “Okay.”

She handed him his shirt and he put it on correctly, thankfully.

He got to the door, looking at her as little as possible. “And for all our sakes,”  _but mostly mine,_  “lock your door this time...”

He looked down at the handle and noticed something odd, “Huh.”

“What is it?”

He examined it more carefully, though it was hardly necessary; the handle was completely smooth. 

“Addams... there’s no lock on your door handle.”

Riley knitted her eyebrows, “I thought they were all like that?”

He shook his head. “No. All of the other rooms on this floor lock.” Seeing her face all scrunched up with worry –  _she’s so damn cute_  – he backtracked, “It’s probably nothing.”

Her face relaxed a bit, but there was still a hint of anxiety between her eyebrows. “Probably?”

Drake had already resolved to tell Bastien about this tomorrow and investigate, but right now her rest was more important, though she should still be on guard.

“Just... be careful, okay?” He gave her a look which he hoped conveyed everything: how much she meant to him, how much he worried, that he would protect her...

He left her looking calm enough and slumped on his bed, determined to stay awake in case of anything. He didn’t think he could sleep anyway, his thoughts were bouncing uncontrollably from pure joy to heavy guilt. And hiding among them, waiting to pounce on him if he dared dream, was the image of Riley in her pink bra. 

_Nope, we’re not crossing that line._

He settled in for his sleepless night.


	15. The Brothers Beaumont

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens in the Beaumonts' study, stays in the Beaumonts' study... or so Drake hopes.

Although he’d intended to stay up all night, Drake eventually fell into a fitful sleep from which he awoke with a start. He’d slept for longer than he would’ve thought; judging by how tired he felt, he would’ve guessed he’d slept maybe 4 hours, yet it had been more than twice that long.

Despite the fact that he could barely open his bleary eyes, he was glad for the late hour, as he was sure to avoid Riley. She had undoubtedly been woken up by Maxwell at an ungodly hour, and had possibly even made it to the Beaumonts’ estate by now. 

He, along with Liam and Bastien, would not be making their way there until the next day. He was glad for one more day at the manor, knowing he would not be seeing Riley. Or worse, Riley and Liam together.

He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but in closing them only succeeded in making himself sleepier. 

_Cold shower it is, then._

He hopped in and let out a gasp full of regret as soon as the freezing water hit his back, not just because of how unpleasant it was, but also because being more awake only meant more inner turmoil.

_What the hell happened last night? Addams, she... the things she said... Could she actually feel the same way?_

The arguing little voice was back.

_Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been through this. Her other choice is Liam. It’s cute that the thought even crossed your mind. Or maybe just pathetic._

He shook his head, washing his body at a furious speed, eager to be out of the shower and drown his thoughts out somehow.

 _One thing is clear,_ he thought as he wrapped a towel around his waist, _I can’t trust myself around her. I have to avoid her until this crush goes away or until... she’s engaged to Liam, then I’ll have no choice but to accept it._

_Seems like half the court’s gonna be heartbroken._

He gave a wry smile at that. 

_Hell, even Tariq!_

He was grateful when that train of thought led him back to Riley’s odd door. He thought it was probably nothing, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. Moreover, reporting it to Bastien gave him something to do, other than agonizing over a crush like a dumb teenager.

He found Bastien at the manor’s small archery range, practicing. As he came into view, he loosed an arrow, which flew wildly over the target. Bastien threw his bow down to the dirt in frustration and kicked at it.

“Whoa, what’s that poor bow done to you? It’s not its fault you suck.”

Bastien wheeled around with a glare so fierce, Drake put his hands up and backtracked, “Hey, hey, you know I’m kidding! Besides, who would I be to say that? I’m the worst at archery.”

“That you are,” replied Bastien drily, turning around to pick his bow up. 

“Bastien, I have to tell you something.”

The man only grunted in response, already nocking another arrow.

_Someone’s cooperative._

 Drake cleared his throat and moved closer, determined to make himself heard.

“Right. So last night, I was in Addam’s room–”

He cut himself off as Bastien let the arrow go, hitting the target square in the middle. He whistled, impressed.

“That was one hell of a shot. I definitely take back what I said earlier.”

A tense silence followed and somehow, although Bastien still had his back to him, he could tell he’d arched a judgmental eyebrow.

“What?” Drake said defensively. “I had a good reason to be there, okay? I’m not gonna get into it but I did...”

The silence continued until he could no longer bear it.

“Look! Whatever, okay?! Nothing happened so you can stop with the third degree!”

Bastien scoffed softly at that and finally turned to look at him, a small smile on his face. 

“All right, I’ll stop. You were saying? You were in Lady Riley’s room and then what happened?”

“Nothing happened!” he exploded. Bastien looked strangely at him and Drake felt his neck grow hot. “Oh, uh, you meant what did I want to tell you,” he said in a smaller voice.

Bastien nodded.

“There was no lock on her door.”

There was another silence and then Bastien shrugged.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Drake asked, incensed at not being taken seriously.

“It means I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Drake had reached the same conclusion on his own from the start, but he was so irritated by Bastien’s nonchalance about the whole thing that he was suddenly arguing passionately; it was almost involuntary.

“How the hell do you figure? Hers was the only door without a lock, okay? Don’t you think that’s weird?!”

Bastien shrugged again and Drake resisted the urge to shove him.

“Evidently, that is not how it should be and I’ll bring it to the staff’s attention, but I’m certain it’s not important. Come to think of it, they remodeled the manor recently, they might have simply forgotten to change that door handle.”

Bastien’s reasonable tone penetrated Drake’s layers of annoyance and calmed him. But he wasn’t going down without a fight.

“I still think you should check on it.”

“Drake, you know I will,” said Bastien, picking up his bow and arrow. Once again, his shot missed by a wide margin.

Drake snorted.

“Well, then, I’ll let you get back to practice. You clearly need it.”

He narrowly avoided being whacked by the bow Bastien swung at him and, still chuckling, he strolled back to the manor. A whole Riley-free and thus, jealousy-free day stretched ahead of him and he didn’t yet know what to do with it. He felt a twinge of sadness at the prospect of not seeing her today and mentally smacked himself.

_So you’re upset if your see her, upset if you don’t? Stop whining, idiot. Maybe you could find Lady Kiara and pick up where you left off..._

With more of a destination in mind – even if it was a person rather than a place – he strode towards the manor. Almost at the threshold, his phone went off in his pocket. He picked it out and saw “Maxwell” on the screen. He groaned.

“Dude. I get  _one_  day to rest from you. One. D–”

“Drake! Shut up for a second!”

He was so shocked that Maxwell had told him to shut up, that he did.

“Didn’t you get my texts? I need you, it’s an emergency!”

Drake pinched his forehead. “Maxwell, if this is in any way party related–”

“It’s not! I mean, it is, but it’s important, I promise!” 

“Well, spit it out!”

He heard Maxwell sigh on the other end. “The... the caterers quit on us. The whole staff, in fact.”

Drake gaped at his phone. “Shit. Is it, um, because of the money thing?”

Maxwell took a second to answer, “Yes.”

“Damn, Maxwell, I’m sorry. So how many people have you recruited?”

His question was met with more silence.

“I’m the only one, huh?”

“Yeah, I asked Tariq and a couple of other guys but...”

Maxwell sounded sick with worry and Drake felt hot anger rise in his throat. 

_Those fucking nobles. Won’t move a finger to help even one of their own._

Perhaps sensing what Drake’s reaction would be, Maxwell hurried to say, “It’s okay, though, don’t worry! I’m confident we’ll get this done between you, Riley and I! We’ll be unstoppable! We just need a team name and–”

“If you say secret identities I won’t go.”

“Right. I’ll see you here then? There’s a whiskey with your name on it!”

He hadn’t really needed the whiskey to convince him – his friend needed help and that was enough for him – but it was a nice bonus. 

“Yeah, be there in like 2 hours.”

“Thank youuuu! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“I’m gonna hang up now.”

He did so and raced up the stairs. Halfway to his room, a realization stopped him short. 

 _Just me, Maxwell and Addams. Shit. Goddamn it. If nobles weren’t the fucking worst I wouldn’t_ have _to go, but I can’t leave Maxwell hanging._

He threw all his stuff into his bag and hurried to one of the Jeeps that were always available for the royal family and its inner circle. 

Before backing out of the manor, he quickly texted Liam,  _“Heading down today. Tell Bastien”_

He knew Liam would be too busy to reply any time soon, so he put his phone down and sped to House Beaumont. He blasted music all the way there, hoping to quiet his conflicting thoughts, torn between excitement and dread.

He parked outside the magnificent estate and was going to text Maxwell that he had arrived, when the doors swung open. Bertrand stood there with his arms crossed and beckoned him with a move of his head.

 _At your service,_ he thought, rolling his eyes. He slammed the door of the Jeep and sauntered over to Bertrand, taking his time once he noticed the noble tapping his foot impatiently.

“Drake,” he said curtly, making a decent attempt at hiding his irritation.

Drake had been about to answer with a short, “Bertrand,” until he noticed the dark shadows under Bertrand’s eyes. His face looked pale and drawn; it was obvious he was under a lot of stress. 

_Okay, okay, I’ll throw him a bone._

“Duke Ramsford,” he bowed his head. He thought he caught a glimpse of Bertrand looking pleasantly surprised before he rearranged his features into a neutral – if exhausted – expression. 

“Thank you for coming. Truly. I hope we can trust you to be discreet.”

Drake’s nostrils flared. 

_Who does he think I am? A noble?_

He answered, “Of course,” and pushed his way into the house before he lost his temper.

He went straight into the kitchen, the setting for many a drunken midnight snack with Liam and Maxwell during the latter’s legendary parties. He pushed the door open calling, “Hello? Anyone in here?”

Riley looked up from the counter, where she’d been arranging ingredients and exclaimed, “Drake!” her eyes shining.

Drake’s heart leapt to his throat. 

_Holy shit, she still looks happy to see me._

The fact was, after last night’s events he hadn’t been sure how she would react. Would she regret everything? Was it just a moment of temporary vulnerability?

Maxwell, meanwhile, and to no one’s surprise, was chanting, “Drake! Drake! Drake! You came!”

Warmth swelled in his chest but he played it down, “Yeah, yeah. Calm down, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yes, it is! We  _are_  friends!” Maxwell bounded up to him and crushed him in hug.

Cheek to cheek, Drake groaned, “You promised me whiskey.”

“Friendship whiskey!”

Maxwell finally let him go and got him a glass of whiskey, which Drake waved away for the moment.

From the counter, Riley said, “Drake, you made it!”

 _I wish she’d stop sounding so excited. It’s almost enough to make me think..._  

He raised his eyebrows, “Yeah, yeah, behold your knight in shining armor. Alright, I’m here now. What needs to be done?”

“Riley and I are plating some fancy appetizers,” explained Maxwell, gesturing to a row of neatly plated hors d’oeuvres. “Come join us...”

Avoiding Riley’s gaze, he went to stand next to Maxwell, who quickly demonstrated the steps to prepare their invention. After making a few, Drake went into autopilot. Knowing his mind would drift to places he’d rather not visit, he resorted to something he normally despised: small talk.

“So how was the jamboree yesterday?”

“So fun!” provided Maxwell. 

_Thank God you can always count on good ol’ Maxwell for a distraction._

Not needing much prompting at all, Maxwell had launched into a full and detailed account of his previous day. 

“–so close to winning! But then Liam was called away because of the reporter, so I went with him. Still, my apple-bobbing skills are  _unrivaled_.”

Drake whipped around to look at Maxwell. “What did you say?”

“Oh, come on, Drake, you know you could never beat me! I’m amazing at bobbing–”

“No, before that.”

“Oh, a guard came looking for Liam to tell him about the reporter who snuck in.”

“That’s impossible. No one ever sneaks in!”

“I know! It would have been more impressive if she hadn’t been caught and thrown out though...”

Drake’s mind was reeling.  _How_  had a reporter snuck in? Even more importantly,  _why_  hadn’t Bastien told him when he’d talked to him this morning? He always informed him of these things.

His thoughts were interrupted by Maxwell’s delighted, “Oooh, these are shaping up! I think we need a good name for these though. Maybe ‘Jewels of the Sea’...”

He looked at their creations lovingly.

“Why not name it the Charade of the Season?” jumped in Riley.

"Heh,” Drake couldn’t help chuckling at that. 

_Such a dork._

"Oh, snarky. I like it.” Maxwell nodded his approval and took their full trays to the fridge.

He dusted off his hands. “There, that should be enough to get us started. Now then, on to the main course!”

Drake raised a skeptical eyebrow, “Do you even know how to cook from scratch?”

“Well...” Maxwell stalled. His hand suddenly went to his pocket and he checked his phone. He let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank heavens. Bertrand found another company to handle the main courses. Let me tell you, nobody would’ve wanted the science experiments I was about to produce.”

Drake wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, “Dodged a bullet there.”

“What’s next on the ‘We’re in Panic Mode’ list?” asked Riley, hands on her hips.

Maxwell scratched his chin, “Hmm... I should stay here and clean the kitchen, but Bertrand might need help in the main hall. Last I saw of him, he was looking for cleaning supplies...”

“Oh boy.” Riley tried to make eye contact with Drake, presumably so they could make fun of Bertrand’s helplessness together, but he refused. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity to make sure they didn’t spend more time together than was strictly necessary.

“I’ll stay here and help Maxwell. We’ll come find you once we finish down here.”

Riley’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded and left the kitchen.

Drake and Maxwell got to work in –  _I can’t believe this!_  – silence. He couldn’t remember the last time Maxwell had been quiet for this long... not counting chewing time, and even then, not always.

He looked at his friend more closely and saw shadows under his eyes deeper even than his high-strung brother’s. His brow furrowed.

“Hey, man, you okay?”

“Of course! Why do you ask?”

“Well, for one thing, you look like shit.” Maxwell glared daggers at him. Drake shrugged and carried on, “For another, you’ve been wiping that spotless cabinet for the last 5 minutes.”

Maxwell looked down at his circling hand, only now becoming aware of it. He stopped, put the rag over his shoulder and sighed. 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. It’s funny; we really are in a tight spot money-wise, but I’m more worried about Bertrand.”

“I can see why; he looks like shit, too.”

Maxwell snapped his rag at him, barely brushing his back just enough to sting.

“Ow! You dick! What was that for?”

“Beaumonts never look like shit.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, you’re right! Us commoners look like shit; you nobles look like feces. Is that better?”

Judging by Maxwell chasing him around trying to hit him again, it wasn’t. Drake was embarrassed by how much he enjoyed just being a guy, doing stupid guy things with his friend. Of course, it took them twice as long as it should have to clean the kitchen, between fits of laughter and rag snapping battles, but they eventually got it done.

"Bertrand just texted me to go help Riley dust a few things. He says you should go to the ballroom and start setting the tables.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” grumbled Drake. 

As before, the work was not distracting enough and he was dangerously close to thinking about a certain someone, wearing a certain undergarment. He didn’t think he’d ever been thankful for Bertrand’s presence before. As soon as he stepped into the ballroom, he inspected his work, nitpicked a few things here and there, and chided him for not going fast enough. It was just was Drake needed.

For the next 20 minutes, he worked diligently under Bertrand’s watchful eyes; he couldn’t have spared a moment to think about Riley if he’d wanted to. 

That is, until, “It’s looking great!”

The doors opened and in stepped Riley and Maxwell. Drake felt his face muscles twitch and fought the stupid smile that seemed to accompany her into every room she entered. 

_Dammit, it’s like I forget how beautiful she is and then every time it hits me like sucker punch._

He busied himself with the floral arrangement he was working on when they’d arrived and distantly heard Bertrand assigning activities.

“Lady Riley, if you could assist Drake?”

_No!_

“Sure!” Riley said brightly and headed over to his table.

She admired his arrangement and teased, “Why, Drake, I never knew you had such flair with peonies...”

Drake shook his head “The things I do for you people...”

He thought of Maxwell’s tired face and decided to voice his concern.

_Well, since we’re stuck together, I might as well ask her opinion. Plus it gives us something harmless to talk about._

He lowered his voice. “Hey... anything about any of this seem off to you?”

“Huh?”

From across the ballroom, they heard the brothers arguing.

“What I don’t get is that the money was in our account  _yesterday!_ ” Bertrand was whisper-shouting.

“I... I don’t know anything about our finances, Bertrand! You know that!” 

Maxwell’s eyes were glued to his feet as Bertrand continued to rail on him, “You might not know anything, but you’re still causing me problems! You’re the only other person with access to that account!”

“I...” Maxwell stammered.

“This better not be to pay off one of your idiotic credit card purchases. Last month you said you spent three thousand on a jet ski. What is it this time?”

“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maxwell looked like he was barely holding it together. 

_You have to feel for the guy._

“You’re lucky I don’t have time to deal with you right now,” huffed Bertrand, then turned on his heel and left. Maxwell stood, dazed and alone for a second, before following Bertrand out.

Drake raised an eyebrow at Riley. “Well? Doesn’t it seem like something weird is going on?”

She pursed her lips. “It seemed like there’s something suspicious going on in House Beaumont.”

“Exactly.”

“I wonder what’s actually going on with their money issues...” Her lips were still pursed and her brow furrowed. He’d never seen her look so pensive.

_Thank God! Something to focus on!_

“I’m going to find out what it is. Besides, it sounds like Maxwell might be in over his head this time. I think he really needs my help... But knowing him, he’d never ask.”

Riley stared, confused, “I didn’t realize you and Maxwell were that close.”

“After all the time I’ve spent with him in the past weeks, I’m starting to find him less annoying,” he smiled.

“High praise,” she replied sarcastically.

“Besides, we scrubbed the kitchen cabinets together. I think I’m invested now.”

_Okay, this is fine. We can have silly, meaningless conversations like this. Yes. It’s gonna be fine._

Riley chuckled, “Sure...” Her face abruptly sobered and he noticed she was wringing her hands. She licked her lips and mumbled, “Actually, Drake... there’s something else we should talk about. About last night...”

_Nope. No no no, we’re not doing this. I mean, come on, she has to realize how wrong this is, right? I have to give her an out._

He chose to play dumb, “Last night?”

Riley licked her lips once again and spoke so softly, Drake had to strain to hear what she said, “What you said... about how you feel...”

“Riley,” he cut her off, using her first name so she’d know he was serious, “I don’t think we should talk about this here.”

“Then somewhere private?” She looked at him, crushing hope in her eyes.

He swallowed, shaking his head frantically, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” she looked so hurt, self-hatred rose up like lava inside him.

He ran a hand down his face. “The way you look at me sometimes, Addams...” His voice caught.

_It’s now or never. Tell the truth for once, if only so you won’t hurt her._

“If we’re alone again together, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from doing something stupid.”

_And I would never forgive myself. Liam deserves better._

“Drake...” 

She moved her hand towards his on the table when, “Drake! Riley!”

She was so startled, when she put her hand down she knocked her fingers against the table.

“Eep! Er, I mean, yes?”

“Why are you two standing around chatting like ladies at an afternoon tea?” barked Bertrand. “You both said you’d help, so  _help!_ ”

Drake was torn between relief at having been interrupted and wanting to bite Bertrand’s pompous head off. 

_What a prick._

“Right away, Duke Ramsford,” said Drake with disdain.

“Yeah. Of course.”

_Okay, that’s it. I didn’t come here to be cornered by Addams or to be ordered around by Bertrand. I’m gonna find out what the hell is going on._

He waited for Bertrand to leave the room and the slinked off to where he knew the study was. 

He had just started rummaging through a drawer when Riley crept in and asked, “Drake, what are you doing back here?”

He managed to refrain from jumping, but he did shut the drawer closed immediately, scared it might be one of the brothers.

He turned to her. “Addams! So, you followed me, huh?” At this point Drake felt like maybe he was literally turning into two people, as he hadn’t been able to have only one feeling at a time  _all day_. Right now, he was pleased she had followed him and worried about the conversation that might ensue.

He gestured around the room. “This is the Beaumont study.”

“How’d you even know this was here?”

“I used to come to this house a lot, back in the day. We ran in the same circles, being friends with Liam and all that...” explained Drake. 

“My sister, Savannah,”  _goddamn, it’s hard to talk about her,_  “used to think the Beaumont brothers were the epitome of courtly life. She practically worshipped them.” He rolled his eyes.

“And you didn’t,” said Riley knowingly, moving closer.

Drake allowed himself a small smile. “I found them to be more of an acquired taste.”

“You mean they both annoyed the hell out of you,” laughed Riley.

“Yup. Pretty much,” he chuckled. “Whenever I got tired of their antics, I’d sneak off and come here to their study.”

“So you were the life of the party even back then?” she elbowed him.

“Ha ha. Whenever Savannah found me here, she would try to get me to join in on the fun.” He smiled more, reminiscing about the girl his little sister had been, always eager to see the best in people, to get along with everyone; the exact opposite of him, basically. He sighed. “I don’t even know where she is now.”

“You don’t have any way of finding her?” Riley’s voice was thick with concern.

He shook his head. “She stopped answering my calls and deleted all of her social media. Wherever she is... all I know is that she doesn’t  _want_ to be found. Even by me. And you know what?” 

He swallowed against the knot in his throat and spoke what he knew to be true, “I don’t blame her. I failed her. I don’t even know how, but I know that I failed her. I didn’t protect her from... from whatever it was that made her leave.”

He gripped the back of a chair until his knuckles were white, willing himself to get it together. He felt a hand rubbing soothing circles on his back. He didn’t think it would make him feel as much better as it did.

Riley murmured, “Drake, maybe she just needs to deal with this on her own.”

“Maybe. But she’s my little sister...” His voice cracked, “I helped her learn how to tie her shoes. It kills me to think there’s something she didn’t think she could trust me with.”

“Do you have any idea what it was about?”

Again, he shook his head. 

 _There’s so much I don’t know._  

“She was so happy... and then one day, after one of these Beaumont parties, she wasn’t. She locked herself in her room, and I could hear her crying. A couple days later, all of her things were packed, and she was just... gone.” His eyes felt dangerously wet, so he decided that was plenty of soul-baring for today. “But... that’s enough about that...”

He unclenched his hands and straightened up. Riley dropped her hand. There was an uncomfortable silence. The first time he hadn’t enjoyed a quiet moment with her. There was too much unspoken on his side; trying to make small talk with her would be like swimming through molasses.

Luckily, Riley didn’t seem to feel that way. “So, this is the Beaumont study...” She looked around. “I expected more party hats. I mean, Maxwell lives here, so I figured...” she trailed off.

Drake knew his best bet was to follow this innocent lane of conversation. “It  _is_  more on the serious side, isn’t it? I don’t think they changed it after their father passed away. The former Duke Ramsford made it a point to decorate it with the family’s accomplishments.” 

He pointed at the walls, covered as they were in first place ribbons and photos of beaming teams holding trophies; and the shelves, which could not have borne the weight of another trophy or medal.

“As you can see, the Beaumont family has a lot to brag about.” He nodded to a prominent picture of Maxwell and Bertrand on horseback.

“I guess Bertrand and Maxwell had a habit of winning.”

“A family tradition.”

Riley grimaced, “I can see why Bertrand is always so worried about upholding the Beaumont name.”

“Their house goes back a long way. I could never pity a rich kid like Bertrand, but I come very close to it sometimes,” Drake agreed. “He’s got a lot of pressure on him. I think his parents gave him a lot of talks about his heritage and Cordonia... And it’s not like Maxwell’s much help with anything.”

“Maxwell tries,” Riley defended him. “Sometimes.”

“Heh. Maxwell’s always been more interested in having fun. He couldn’t care less about prestige and honor. That’s one of the things I like about him, actually.” He smiled at that and forgot about his resolve to avoid eye contact.

Once he made that fatal mistake, he couldn’t tear his eyes from her. 

 _Oh God, I missed the fucking_ sight of her! _I’ve reached peak pathetic._

He was so busy berating himself, he hadn’t registered that her gaze was lingering just as much. When he did, he found it was more than he could bear and he looked down.

She stretched out her hand and touched his arm. He kept his eyes fixed on the hardwood floor.

“Drake, we need to talk about ‘us,’” she said, nervous but firm.

Still staring down, Drake answered in monotone, “There is no ‘us.’”

It felt like someone was squeezing his heart. He knew that, but saying it out loud somehow made it more real... and final.

“I don’t think you mean that,” she near-whispered.

Drake finally looked at her and steeled himself to say everything that had been churning in his head for months. All his guilt, his resentment, his jealousy, his love, all of it. 

“The truth is that my best friend is head over heels for you. So it doesn’t really matter how I feel. Because that’s where it has to end. Liam is the only one who’s ever looked out for me. The only one who gave a damn about me after my dad... After he was gone,” his voice trembled embarrassingly. 

He took a deep breath and held on to his anger instead, “The rest of the court was ready to cast us out, never mind that he died protecting the royal family.”

Riley’s hand was still on his arm. When he paused she caressed him soothingly, “Drake... I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”

“I didn’t care much,” he shrugged, “but my mom and Savannah... it would’ve devastated them. Liam made sure we had a place at the palace as long as we wanted one. I could never betray him by falling for his girl.” 

_A little late for that. But I could never do something about it._

“So that’s what it all comes down to, Addams.” He moved away from her and her warm touch. “Whatever I feel... it doesn’t matter.” 

The corners of his mouth pulled down and he rubbed his hand against it, hoping to at least get through this with his dignity.

Riley stepped close to him once more. 

_Damn, she’s stubborn._

“Drake, what about how I feel?”

Drake inhaled so sharply it was almost a gasp. 

_How she–? Can she mean–?_

He couldn’t form coherent thoughts so he wasn’t sure why he decided speaking would be any better. “How you feel... of course I care how you feel. I just didn’t think... I mean... what are you saying, Addams?”

She looked him straight in the eyes and with merely hint of her previous nervousness, said, “I’m saying, I want you.”

Drake’s heart had already been beating faster than usual, but at those words it positively hammered in his chest.

_What the fuck do I do? How do I resist that?_

He balled his fists and clamped his jaw, trying to force himself to become ice.

“Oh, Addams...” he groaned through his clenched jaw, “you shouldn’t have said that.”

Her eyes were so intense that his jaw went slack. His fists still closed, he took in a ragged breath; every fiber of his being in contradiction between not moving a muscle, or closing the short distance between them  _now._  

“Drake...”

As it turned out, his internal battle was useless; he’d forgotten to take one very important thing into account: Riley did whatever she wanted. Before he could so much as take a breath, she was standing closer than she’d ever been.

And then she was even closer, impossibly so. He could have counted her eyelashes. It took him an instant to understand she was standing on her tiptoes. Then she pressed her lips to his softly and he knew he was lost.

He was too startled to kiss her back, so she withdrew and searched his face, obviously worried that he hadn’t  _wanted_  to kiss her. Looking back, Drake would find that absolutely hilarious.

He raised his hand – his fists seemed to have loosened of their own accord – and traced her jawline with his thumb. 

He uttered the only word he could possibly think of, “Addams...”

“Yes?” she smiled up at him and the tiny part of his defense that was still up, crumbled then and there.

He let himself want her the way his whole being had been urging him to since practically the day they met.

“I’ve wanted this for so long...” He could barely get the words out through the surge of desire that rushed through him. 

She was still standing close, but now that she’d kissed him, he didn’t think anything would be close enough. He pulled her to him tightly and kissed her hungrily, blessedly not thinking for the first time in months. 

Her mouth opened and then her tongue was on his and he was so far gone. His hands roamed her back before settling on her hips, which he gripped hard. She’d been running her hands through his hair but now she moved them to his chest. She grabbed and bunched up the fabric of his shirt, trying to get him closer than physics would allow.

Drake broke the kiss, feeling like he had to come up for air. He was breathing as heavily as if he’d just run a marathon.

Riley touched his cheek tenderly. “ _Drake..._ ”

He had never loved his name more than when he heard it coming out of her swollen lips. Swollen from kissing him.

He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear – he noted with pleasure that she shivered – and whispered, “I didn’t think this would ever be more than a fantasy...”

She looked up again and their lips were almost brushing. With a smile, she asked, “Are you saying that you’ve thought about this before?”

If it hadn’t been for fear of ruining the moment, Drake would have laughed, “More than I’d like to admit.”

He kissed her again, only by now, his thoughts had had time to catch up to him. 

_This is the last time you ever do this, asshole, so make it count._

He kissed her with the desperate certainty that comes with wanting something you definitely cannot and should not have. He gripped the back of her head tightly, crashing their mouths together. Then he pulled back and held her at arm’s length.

Her eyebrows knitted together. “What’s wrong?”

_Where do I start?_

“Someone could come in here... One of them might come looking for us... We shouldn’t just...”

It was clear his thoughts hadn’t  _completely_  come back to him.

He shook his head. “Even without a drop of whiskey, why do I feel drunk when I’m around you, Addams?”

_The kind of drunk you get addicted to. You are fucking intoxicating._

A slow smile spread on her face and there was so much affection in her eyes as she said, “Drake...” and started stepping forward again.

Drake stopped her and then dropped his arms. “Don’t smile at me like that. I don’t deserve it. We shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

He rubbed his face roughly, as if that could wipe out what he’d done. His mind, in the meantime, was chanting,  _You’re a piece of shit, you’re a piece of shit,_  over and over again.

Riley chewed on her cheek, her eyes downcast. “Should we leave?”

He stared at her, only this time she was the one who would not meet his eye. 

_Can you blame her? You blew her off seconds after betraying your best friend. Why wouldn’t she want to leave?_

_Fuck. I have to tell Liam._

Perhaps wanting to delay that moment, he remembered the reason why he’d originally come into the study. “Soon... but we came in here with a mission, didn’t we?”

She raised her eyes, still avoiding his and gave a hesitant smile. “Something about searching for clues to the Beaumont mystery, I think?”

“Right.”

She turned to the drawers Drake had been inspecting when she’d arrived, while Drake searched through the papers on a smaller desk. He felt it before he saw it: a thick envelope. 

“Whoa!” he let out once he’d thumbed through the contents.

“What is it?”

“If I’m not mistaken, this is a fat envelope full of cash!”

He showed it to Riley, whose eyes widened as she saw the stack of bills inside it.

“That’s... that’s what that is, all right. But why is it just here in the study?”

Drake turned it over. “There’s an address on the back... a French address! It looks like someone was going to mail this today.”

She grabbed his arm with urgency. He tried to suppress his body’s ridiculous reactions to her touch. “Drake... This has got to be the missing money that Bertrand was talking about! We’ve got to take it to Maxwell.”

He turned to her, surprised. “Really? You want to trust Maxwell Beaumont with an envelope of cash?”

“Let’s just say I trust him more than I trust Bertrand right now. I’ll text him to meet us here.”

It only took Maxwell a few seconds to burst into the room; he must have been nearby. His face was full of unease.

“What’s up? Your text sounded serious.”

“This  _is_ serious,” Riley said. “Drake and I were in here, and we found this envelope full of cash!”

Maxwell’s mouth fell open. “Oh, uh, wow! That... that must be the money that Bertrand was looking for. Thank you. You guys saved my life. Bertrand was ready to kill me over this.”

“No problem.”

Riley shoved the envelope into Maxwell’s hands, which were trembling.

“I think it’s too late to get the staff back, but at least we found it!” His voice sounded more high-pitched than usual.

Riley frowned. “But... how do you think the money ended up here?”

Maxwell gave an elaborate shrug. “Oh, you know, it’s been so crazy lately... Bertrand probably put it here to give to the staff and then forgot about it or something.”

_Bullshit. What the hell._

“I don’t think that Bertrand would forget something like that...” He narrowed his eyes at Maxwell who was studiously ignoring his stare.

“Yeah, I’ll have to talk to him about it.”

Drake reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

“You know, you can always tell us if you’re in some kind of trouble.”

“Oh, no more than usual.” He started backing out of the room. “Anyway, thanks for finding it! I owe you guys! But now we better get back to work before Bertrand realizes we’ve stopped cleaning!”

He pocketed the envelope and hurried out of the room.

Drake immediately turned to Riley- “Something is off. You getting that feeling too?”

She had that thoughtful look on her face again, the one that made him want to kiss her. 

_Well, to be fair, that’s just her face in general._

“Yeah... It seems like Maxwell might be hiding something.”

“And I want to know what it is.”

“Maybe we’ll find more clues while we’re prepping the house?”

“We’ll see. Keep an eye out, but try not to be obvious about it.” He was already going to the door as he said this. He couldn’t be alone with her again.

He heard a faint, “Right,” as he left.

He found Bertrand polishing the banisters. He assigned Drake to one of dining room’s – never mind that they wouldn’t be using it tomorrow. He was glad for the distraction anyway. For the next couple of hours, all he was focused on was getting everything to look immaculate.

He was occasionally interrupted by thoughts of Liam; how he would react when he told him what he did tomorrow, whether it was their end of their friendship...

Every time that happened he threw himself into the work even more vehemently so that by the time he was done, the two rooms he’d tackled looked new.

He thought he’d earned himself a rest – though in his current state it was unlikely to be restful – so he headed to his room.

He’d only just begun his downward spiral with despairing thoughts about himself and his loyalty as he walked down the hallway, when he heard two male voices in Maxwell’s room.

He stopped, trying to decide if the second voice belonged to whom he thought it did. He knocked and opened the door to find Liam talking to Maxwell.

“Liam? What the–?”

“Drake! I got your text, I’m sorry I forgot to respond to it.”

Drake waved his apology off. “S’okay. What are you doing here?” Before Liam could answer, he continued, “Actually, can I speak to you in private?”

“Of course. I was just arranging for Maxwell’s help, but I believe we’re all set?”

“Yep! I will be your waiter for this evening, Your Majesty.” Maxwell gave Liam a sweeping bow.

“Wait, what? Waiter? What do you mean?” Drake looked from one man to the other, totally nonplussed.

Liam gave him a radiant smile and explained, “Oh, Maxwell is being kind enough to help me on my date with Riley tonight. He’ll be our waiter.”

“On your... date?” Drake choked.

“Yes. I realized we’d skipped that part of courting, so I came here early to ask her and she said yes!” Liam’s smile was only getting bigger.

“You already asked her and everything. Cool. Very cool, so fun! Well, I’m gonna go to my room now.”

Liam tilted his head. “Didn’t you want to talk about something Drake?”

“Right. Er, no, not anymore. As it turns out, it’s not as important as I thought it was.”

He hastened off to his room and slammed the door. He threw himself down on his bed.

_You coward._

_I’m not a coward!_

_Yeah, right. You know you should have told Liam._

_What for?! He’d only be hurt and it’s not worth it! It’s clear Addams is choosing him anyway; why else would she be going on dates? Maybe she was bored and she didn’t think she’d be seeing Liam until tomorrow. Whatever it was, let’s face it: it was only a kiss to her. I’m not going to ruin my friendship with Liam and their relationship just ‘cause it meant more to me._

_Fuck this._


	16. The Beaumont Bash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beaumont parties are notoriously wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *NSFW*  
> TW: Mention of depression, suicide

As he got ready for the Beaumont Bash, Drake was aware of feeling an aching thirst for alcohol. He figured getting wasted was his best chance at surviving the unbearable sight of Liam and Riley together and might even stop him from thinking about her all night. 

With this in mind, he poured himself a glass of the unopened bottle of whiskey Liam had given him for his birthday. He swallowed with savage pleasure, as if Liam could know he was ignoring his request to share it with friends.

He debated whether to pour himself a second glass, then decided against it; he’d been to enough Beaumont parties to know this would be a long night. He should pace himself.

Having thrown his usual outfit on, he barely glanced at the mirror, not really caring much at all about his appearance tonight. 

_It’s not like anyone will be looking._

He trudged down to the ballroom, only to find Lady Kiara at the foot of the stairs. In his current mood, he gladly would have avoided her, but it was unfortunately the only way down.

Nevertheless, he tried to keep their meeting short and discourage conversation by saying, “Lady Kiara,” as curtly as possible and not stopping. 

He wasn’t fast enough, though, as a hand seized his forearm before he could make his getaway.

“And where do you think you’re going,  _Monsieur_  Walker?” she asked with a smirk. “I haven’t forgotten your promise of a legendary night,  _tu comprends_?”

_Oh fuck, not this. Why did I have to open my goddamn mouth?_

Drake extricated his arm as politely as he could and averted his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I  _comprends_  or whatever.” This made Kiara giggle, so he added a very discouraging, “We’ll see,” for good measure.

He burst into the ballroom, eager to fade into the crowd and get drunk by himself. And who should be there to welcome here other than Riley. She was wearing a midnight blue dress that made her skin look radiant and her eyes a deeper color than usual. Her hair was up in an elegant bun. Drake privately decided –  _I shouldn’t even be thinking about this_  – that he preferred it down, but there was no denying she looked beautiful either way.

_Of fucking course. Can’t have a moment of peace around here. Does she always have to look so... so..._

His frustration was such that he couldn’t come up with a single word for her; he came up with too many. He realized he’d pursed his lips and balled his fists when he’s seen her. He relaxed as he stepped up to her.

“Welcome to the Beaumont Bash...” she said with a grin. 

 _You’d think nothing happened yesterday._  

“You’ll recognize some of these fine floral arrangements as yours...” she gestured to the centerpieces.

“Heh. After yesterday, I was skeptical about this place being ready in time, but...” he looked around the lavish room, appraising it. “Looks like you’re about to have an actual party here.”

“I know, right?” said Riley excitedly. She gave him a once over, seeing him fully for the first time. “Though... you don’t look like you’re dressed for the occasion.”

Drake opened his arms as if on display. “You don’t like my look? This shirt’s clean.”

Riley sighed and rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s the most I should expect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress up for these fancy events. It might be a nice change of pace.”

The comment stung more than it should have. 

_Well, what did you expect? She’s marrying a prince! Why wouldn’t she think you look like crap? Anyway, me? Dressed like a fucking noble? No way._

He shrugged studiously. “Eh. Fashion is subjective. Besides, people are here to see the Prince, not me.” He attempted to keep the bitterness out of his voice at that last part; it was just a fact, after all. He thought he’d been successful until he saw Riley was shaking his head sadly at him.

He was about to reassure her that he didn’t mind, when Hana bounded up to them. She waved at him with a smile and he returned her greeting with the most cheerful nod he could muster. He felt an arm around his shoulder and turned to see Maxwell had joined them as well.

“Riley! Maxwell! I’ve never been to the Beaumont estate before. This looks wonderful,” admired Hana.

Maxwell replied, “Thank you, Hana...” as Drake shrugged his arm off.

“And you look lovely tonight, Riley,” said Hana, her eyes shining as she took in Riley’s elegant figure.

Riley beamed and returned the compliment, “As always, you look gorgeous too!”

Hana blushed deeply. To the unsuspecting eye, she might just seem like someone who was not used to receiving compliments, but Drake knew better; the corners of her lips were twitching and it was clear to him she was fighting back a smitten smile.

Luckily for Hana, at that moment, the waiters started bringing out the appetizers.

“Our creations!” Maxwell whispered.

“I hope people like them...” said Riley, biting her lip.

Lady Kiara, who was just behind them, wondered aloud, “Uhh... what is this dish?” when the waiter handed her one, along with a napkin.

Maxwell, doing his best pompous celebrity chef impression, explained, “What you have there is a deconstructed delicacy of caviar cultivated from pampered hake fish of the Swedish fjords with paprika harvested from a micro-nursery in Provence.”

Lady Penelope had bitten into it halfway through Maxwell’s bluffing description and now exclaimed, “Wow... so fancy... I like them! Spicy, salty, definitely unique.”

Encouraged by her friend’s reaction, Lady Kiara gave it a small bite too. “Mmmm... It reminds me of when I dined at the top of la Tour Eiffel in Paris! Did you use the same chef?”

She looked so impressed, Drake almost snorted. 

_Rich people. Throw some food together, call it something fancy and they're happy._

“Someone comparable,” choked out Maxwell, obviously holding back laughter.

The suitors moved on to mingling with other nobles and Maxwell turned to his friends, “Well, the reactions to our appetizers seem mostly positive.”

“They like the food? Really?” Riley’s smile was almost ear to ear. “I can’t believe we pulled that off.”

“Yeah. I really thought this would be a complete disaster,” agreed Drake.

“I told you... it’s all in the marketing!” Maxwell gave him finger guns. 

Drake’s snide response was interrupted by the arrival of his two least favorite people –  _or should I say my least favorite snake and possessed murder doll._

Judging by the grimace on Riley’s face, which she quickly covered up with a reluctant smile, she felt the same way. “Duchess Olivia... Countess Madeleine... welcome.”

 _Hell no._  

Maxwell seemed to be thinking similarly, for he walked away from the group with Drake.

They each grabbed a glass of champagne.

“To not being a part of that conversation,” toasted Drake.

Maxwell chuckled and clinked his glass, saying, “Oh, come on, Drake, they’re not that bad. Olivia has been very loyal to Liam.”

“So? Doesn’t change the fact she’s about as pleasant as a root canal. And don’t get me started on Madeleine!”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Are you kidding? I’d trust her as far as I could throw... Liam; I could probably throw  _her_  pretty far, actually. At least Olivia’s open about how terrible she is.”

“That’s a fair point,” Maxwell conceded. “She’s definitely crafty.”

“That’s one way to put it."

Noticing Madeleine and Olivia had moved on, Maxwell and Drake returned to where Riley and Hana were standing.

“Welcome, everyone,” rang out Bertrand’s clear voice. “If you’ll please take your seats, dinner will begin shortly.”

"That’s my cue. I have a seat in the back,” Drake said, pointing to his table, “so I’ll see you after dinner.”

“And I’d better go and take my seat with the other ladies,” chimed in Hana.

Riley pouted, “I wish we could have all sat together.”

Drake touched her arm lightly. “Hey, don’t look so disappointed, Addams. You’re sitting with royalty. I learned a long time ago I don’t fit in there.” He sighed in resignation. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle one dinner without us.”

“Right...” Riley replied dubiously.

"We’ll catch up later!” Hana reassured her.

On his way to his unglamorous table, Drake overheard Olivia whine, “What am I doing back here?” He automatically made eye contact with Riley across the room and they both burst into laughter. 

Still chucking he sat down at a table with Bastien and other guards.

He tuned out most of the conversation throughout the meal, focusing instead on the food and drink. He had to admit, dinner hadn’t been half bad, considering it was fancy rich people nonsense. The champagne was the best part, though.

Feeling slightly less grumpy thanks to the food and – in large part – to the alcohol, he felt ready to start a conversation.

"So, Bastien,” he turned to his right, “did you find the person behind the photos?”

“Not yet. I haven’t been able to get ahold of the reporter to whom they were being sold,” the older man grimaced, clearing his plate.

“Bummer.” What Bastien had said reminded Drake of something else. “Oh, hey, what’s this I hear about a reporter being caught inside the grounds at the Manor? It it true?”

He gathered from Bastien’s exasperated sigh that it was.

“What the hell, Bastien?! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was under the impression that I reported to Prince Liam, not to you,” Bastien snapped with ice in his voice.

Drake was momentarily hurt into silence. The fact that he’d specifically said he reported to Liam instead of King Constantine seemed designed to make him feel smaller. Bastien sighed again and put a hand on his shoulder; Drake resisted the urge to brush it off.

“It was nothing, all right? I figured you had enough on your mind and didn’t want to add to it because of a meaningless incident. She was caught and promptly escorted out. End of story.”

“How can you be sure she didn’t do anything? Take pictures or... I don’t know.”

“Drake, we made sure, trust me.”

Bastien met his eyes earnestly. Drake felt ashamed at having doubted his old friend. 

_Why would he tell you anyway? What have you ever done?_

He shook his head as if to rid himself of that spiteful little voice.

"I _have_  had a lot on my mind lately,” he admitted. “What with Liam’s Coronation, and Riley–”

“I see Lady Kiara is still taken with you.”

“Wh-what?”

He whipped his head around to the suitors’ table and saw Lady Kiara engrossed in a conversation with Hana.

“What are you talking about? She’s not even looking this way.”

“You just missed it.” Bastien clicked his tongue regretfully. “I think she’d be good for you, if you don’t mind my saying.”

“Uh, really?”

“Definitely! She is charming and intelligent, and I’m sure I have heard you mention her physical, er, attributes.”

“Yeah, Bastien, she’s hot, you can say it.”

“I will not. But I hope you take my meaning.”

“Now that the dessert course has been served, the grand hall is now open,” came Bertrand’s voice from the main table. “Please join us there for the after-dinner festivities!”

Standing up, Bastien patted his shoulder before leaving the ballroom along with his men to take his position in the main hall, where the party was to be held. Drake filed out of the ballroom alone and stood among the crowd anonymously as Bertrand continued giving unnecessary speeches.

“Citizens, nobles, friends, we’ve gathered here today to celebrate the end of the social season. So if you’ll hear me out, I’d like to share a few words...”

At this point, Drake’s attention drifted. 

_There’s only so much noble rambling I can take in one night._

He looked around and spotted Liam at the very front with his family. He wasn’t eager to join the King and Queen, so he kept searching the crowd. Hana was carrying what seemed like a tiresome conversation with Lady Penelope. Drake shuddered.

_I’d rather be alone than talk about poodles._

Left with no other choices, he looked for Maxwell.

Disconcerted, he realized his friend was not part of the crowd. 

_Where the hell is he?_

Bertrand’s voice, once again, broke through his confusion, “... and so, with all of House Beaumont with me, let us propose a toast!”

Drake finally spotted Maxwell coming up the stairs carrying a mace. Close behind him – his eyes widened – was Riley, valiantly hauling a battle axe that looked like it weighed about as much as she did.

“To our gracious royal family...” Bertrand continued.

“To all those here tonight!” Maxwell added.

“And to the PARTTYYYY!” Riley yelled, hoisting the battle axe up precariously. “Let’s rock this place to the ground!”

“YEEEAAAHHH!” Maxwell pumped his fists.

He swung the mace at the champagne, shattering the bottle.

“We’ve never let a lost bottle stop us before. Bring out another!” called Bertrand to the staff.

“WOOOOOOOO!” Maxwell was almost buzzing with frantic energy, his hand and bottom half soaked in champagne.

Riley gripped her axe and sliced with difficulty at the bottle. Perhaps because it was so heavy and thus she had very little momentum, she managed to hack the cork clean off. Champagne immediately bubbled out and she took a drink directly from it.  _Beginner’s luck_ , scoffed Drake, though he had to admit to being a little impressed.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was  _very_  impressed, and possibly a bit jealous, “Whoa... It took me much longer to master that move.”

“From all of us at House Beaumont... thank you!” Bertrand brandished the bottle Riley had opened at the crowd and they cheered in unison. Waiters marched into the room with tray upon tray of champagne. 

 _Thank God._  

Drake’s pleasant buzz had begun to subside and he knew he was only a few sober minutes away from getting sulky. 

Meanwhile, Maxwell had raced to the top of the stairs.

“... Maxwell!” Bertrand said.

“What?” Maxwell called back.

“Let the revelry begin!”

“AWWWWWWWWW YEAH!” yelled the younger Beaumont, sliding down the banister.

Deafening pop music blared all around the room, and professional dancers and acrobats, dressed in colorful, circus-like costumes, made their entrance. The room now felt twice as crowded.

Drake stood in his spot, back against the wall, gulping down the champagne he’d snagged from a passing waiter. He didn’t notice his friends walking over to him until Liam spoke, “So, enjoying the party, Drake?”

“It’s been less than two minutes, and my ears hurt...” he grumbled.

Liam elbowed him, “Come on, Drake, you usually give it at least five minutes before tapping out.”

_I usually don’t have a crush on the girl you’re marrying._

“There’s so much happening,” Hana marveled.

Drake rolled his eyes. “That’s the problem.”

As if on cue, he heard Bertrand shout, “Bring out the horses!”

“The horses!” Maxwell echoed.

“The horses?! You’re bringing horses in here?!” Riley asked over the music.

“Who’s ready for a little horse riding?” Bertrand led the horses to the center of the room.

“I am!” Maxwell piped up.

“Great...” Drake shook his head. He hated this tradition of theirs. The poor horses couldn’t understand what was happening and were obviously spooked. 

_Fucking nobles and their “eccentricities”._

Maxwell, already mounted, asked, “Who will be my partner?”

“How about our king-to-be?” suggested Bertrand.

“I nominate Drake as my proxy.”

If looks could kill, Cordonia would have found itself without an heir. Liam held back a laugh at Drake’s irritation, but the latter merely said, “Oh, no, you’re not forcing me into the saddle tonight.”

Hana chose that moment to say, “I vote for Riley!”

“Riley!” Maxwell repeated.

“Come on up then, Lady Riley.” Bertrand offered her his hand. “Your saddle awaits.”

Riley was helped onto the horse, which whinnied uneasily. “Easy, girl.” 

Riley scratched the horse’s mane and that seemed to help calm it down. She then led it in a gentle turn around the room.

She and Maxwell waved at the crowds.

"My fellow Cordonians, take a picture!” Riley proclaimed. “I want everyone to see my noble horseback pose.”

Drake snorted at that. She wasn’t a bad rider and her pose was not terrible but it was a far cry from “noble” as she put it. Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he could teach her better, before clamping down on that dumb instinct.

“Phones are not allowed inside these parties. Nobody wants to see embarrassing pictures of themselves in the news.”

Bertrand was right; phones were not allowed and yet... there were always exceptions, weren’t there? He thought back to Maxwell’s video of him dancing to Hayley Rose and felt his face grow warm. A lot more sinister were the pictures of the bachelor party that someone had tried to sell for profit.

“I’ll take mental pictures for you,” Hana consoled her.

After going around the room once more for their adoring fans, Maxwell said, “We should let some others ride around on the horses.”

“Fair enough.” Riley dismounted and made a beeline for Drake.

“Drake! I feel like I haven’t see you all day.”

_That’s ‘cause I’ve been avoiding you._

“Well, you’re seeing me know,” he replied, noncommittal, looking down at his champagne.

“Yeah and guess what? I wish your face didn’t look like you just swallowed a lemon.”

He looked up sharply at that, eyes narrowed, and Riley laughed. As per usual, her laugh was too contagious to resist and he ended up chuckling along.

“See? That’s better,” she smiled and brushed her fingers against his. He stopped laughing instantly. 

“I need a drink.”

“Me too! I’ll come with!” 

He groaned a little but could think of no way to dissuade her without hurting her feelings, so he let her follow him to the makeshift bar.

He opened his mouth to order whiskey, when Riley elbowed him aside and spoke over him. “Do not give this man whiskey. Do not. We’ll have two shots instead.”

The bartender looked at her expectantly. When Riley didn’t elaborate, he asked, “Shots of what?”

“Surprise us.” Riley turned to Drake and smiled with that mischievous glint in her eyes. “Scared, Drake?”

“Pff, I can drink you under the table, no problem.”

“Then how about a bet?”

“What? Another one? We both have bets we never settled!”

“Then I guess they cancel each other out!”

“You just wanna get out of paying up, Addams.”

“How dare you! I’ll remember this insult against my honor when you lose, you know?”

Drake put on a whiny voice and begged, “Oh, please don’t, I’m so scared. I’m sorry I insulted your _honor_ , Lady Riley the Waitress.”

“That’s Head Waitress to you, grumpy commoner.”

They were so busy trying to stare each other down, they didn’t realize their shots were ready. The bartender cleared his throat awkwardly. 

Drake turned to him, “Er, right sorry,” and grabbed the two shot glasses.

Handing Riley hers, he proposed, “Okay, how about whoever makes a face or shows any difficulty in swallowing this, loses?”

Riley put on her best poker face, though he noticed her lips were still twitching. “You’re on.”

They clinked their glasses, maintaining eye contact the whole time –  _I have to, for the bet!_  – and then threw their heads back. The base was definitely vodka. Drake had only negative experiences from his teenage years to associate with that spirit, but he powered through his body’s rejection of it. 

Riley was not faring as well; for a moment it seemed like she might actually throw it back up. In the end, she managed to keep it down, but she couldn’t help the pronounced grimace on her face as she did.

“HA! I knew it!”

“No! I demand a redo! I cannot handle vodka, okay? My body hates it!”

“Rules are rules, Addams, don’t tell me you’d back down from a bet? Surely your  _honor_  wouldn’t allow it,” he teased.

She took a step forward, “Well, maybe I’m not so honorable...”

Drake licked his lips unconsciously. “Neither am I.”

He hadn’t realized when it happened, but his breath had quickened. He felt his hand rising as if of its own accord, reaching toward her, to touch her.

A familiar tall figure was approaching them from behind Riley.

“I better go. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with the prince,” Drake said, leaving hurriedly back to the bar and ordering whiskey.

Leaning against it, he had a prime view of Liam and Riley talking. He went to take a swig of his whiskey only to find it empty. He ordered another one straight away. When the bartender handed it to him, he saw Olivia interrupt the couple.

_Yes! Go Olivia! Oh my God, what the fuck. I’m actually happy to see Olivia._

Before leaving with a person that Drake considered to be in his personal bottom three and yet felt like hugging right now, Liam kissed Riley on the cheek. Drake downed his whiskey and ordered the next.

The rest of the party went by in a blur of alcohol, dancing – or, in Drake’s case, being forced to dance by Maxwell – and crazy hijinks, like trying to shoot an arrow through an apple on a bust’s head. 

Nobody could do it. They hit other things, though... The bust, mostly. But there was an exciting moment when Penelope, swaying, very nearly hit Maxwell. He wouldn’t have been badly hurt – the arrows were blunt – and it hadn’t even brushed him, yet he still took it upon himself to act out a Shakespearean death scene, much to everyone’s amusement. 

Drake hadn’t even tried. His level of drunkenness paired with how bad he was at archery at the best of times was a recipe for disaster; even drunk him knew that.

The party felt like it was winding down. Lady Kiara was sitting on the floor in the corner, moaning, “Too... too much... Je ne me sens pas bien.”

Penelope, in the meantime, was leaning against one of the horses, going, “You know, horse. You and I have so much in common... hair, bodies, an adoration of poodles. You’re like my equine soulmate.” She seemed to doze off at that point.

Liam and Olivia were chatting in very loud voices. Well, Olivia was; Liam was talking maybe a tiny bit louder than he normally would, but his cheeks were far more rosy than usual.

Bertrand was sitting against a column with an empty champagne bottle in one hand – Drake didn’t doubt he’d drank it all himself – and a sword in the other.

“We gave those apples what for,” he said proudly to no one in particular.

Maxwell, to no one’s surprise, was still dancing while Riley and Hana looked on, amazed at his energy.

Drake walked over, hoping the fact that everyone was pretty drunk meant he could go. “It’s over. I’m finally free.”

Maxwell stopped dancing and wheeled around to face Drake. “What do you mean ‘it’s over’? The party is just getting started.”

“Lady Penelope is literally talking to a horse,” he nodded toward her. “The party has done its job.”

"Your mane is so soft,” she was saying as she ran her fingers through it. “You have to tell me who does your hair.”

“Back home, this was always about the time we’d break out a game of Truth or Dare, but I bet you guys are too classy for that!” Riley raised an eyebrow.

“You’d be betting wrong! I love Truth or Dare.” 

_Of course Maxwell would love a party game._

“’Truth or Dare’?” Hana met Drake’s eyes; they both seemed to be thinking the same thing: Truths could mean trouble. “That sounds dangerous...”

“Well... only if you have something to hide...” shrugged Riley. Drake almost laughed. “Or a fear of embarrassing stunts...”

She looked at Hana beseechingly and the latter couldn’t resist, “It sounds... Fun!” 

Normally, Drake wouldn’t blame her, he knew by now how powerless he was to resist Riley’s requests but... 

_Dammit, Hana! Not after yesterday!_

Riley took Hana’s hands, “I can’t believe you’ve never played! Now we’ve go to do it.”

Drake shook his head over and over. “Oh no. I’m not playing Truth or Dare.”

“Come on, Drake, we should do it for Hana,” pleaded Riley.

Hana backtracked politely, “I don’t want to pressure you guys into doing something on my behalf.”

“But I would!” said Maxwell. “Do it! Do it!”

“I see where this is going...” Drake was already rubbing his face tiredly, waiting for what he knew was coming.

“Drake! Drake! Drake!”

_Aaand there it is. Does this man ever not chant?!_

“Okay... fine. I’ll play, just stop chanting my name.”

“Whoohoo! Someone’s going streaking tonight!” Maxwell wiggled his eyebrows.

“We can play in my room!” Hana offered, and she led the way upstairs.

Drake and Maxwell followed suit. Riley, for all her talk, lingered behind. 

_Waiting for Liam?_

He didn’t know what to feel if that was the case. On the one hand, relief that he wouldn’t have to play a risky drinking game with her; on the other, pure, uncontrollable jealousy. 

_Who am I kidding? I’m no closer to controlling this stupid crush than I am to controlling the fucking weather._

To his immense relief and despite his hesitancy to play Truth or Dare with her, Riley joined them soon in Hana’s room. They were all sitting crosslegged on the floor in a circle. Riley took a spot between Hana and Maxwell, facing Drake.

“This is so exciting! How do we start?” asked Hana.

“Usually with a few drinks,” Drake replied.

“Oooh, there’s a full bar!” said Hana, noticing it for the first time. 

 _We are very different people._  

“What do you guys want?” she asked.

“Make me something fruity and delicious!” requested Maxwell. “I know! I want Sex on the Beach!”

Hana’s hand went to her mouth, her cheeks turning red, “Oh my! I don’t think...”

“It’s a drink...” explained Maxwell hastily. “Never mind, I’ll make it myself.” He stood up and joined her at the minibar.

“I’ll just have–”

Riley cut Drake off, “Let me guess. Whiskey.”

Drake rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his face heat up, “I’m getting predictable, aren’t I?”

“Maybe just a little bit,” she said with a small smile.

“What about you, Riley?” asked Hana. 

“I’ll have a whiskey, too,” she winked at Drake, who couldn’t help grinning back.

Hana poured two whiskeys and a glass for champagne for herself, while Maxwell mixed himself a bright orange drink.

“Cheers, friends! Thank you for joining me tonight!” Hana extended her hand to the center of the circle.

“Cheers.” Drake followed.

Maxwell added, “To friendship!”

“To friendship!” agreed Riley, clinking her glass to the others’. “And Truth or Dare!”

Drake drank deeply, remembering what they were all there for. “Oh boy, this is going to be a long night.”

“Drinks have been accomplished! Now, what comes next?” Hana looked at them expectantly.

“Someone goes first,” said Maxwell.

“Addams should start.” Drake pointed at her. “This was her idea.”

Maxwell turned to her, “Okay, Riley... truth or dare?”

“I choose Truth.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Maxwell rubbed his hands together with relish. “I’ve got a great one for you. If you were stranded on a desert island, where you’ll never see anyone or any civilization ever again... Which one of us would you want with you?”

Riley pretended to think for a moment, tapping an exaggerated finger to her chin, then announced, “I’d want Drake!”

He could not have been more taken aback. He knew they were on good terms now, maybe even more than that if yesterday was anything to go by, but there was no denying he was a difficult person to be around, let alone be stuck with. 

“Me? Be honest, Addams, you just want me there so I’m suffering as much as you are.”

“Mostly just to see how you’d look in a grass skirt,” she smirked.

“Hey!” Drake threw a nearby cushion at her, which she deflected with her arm, laughing. 

“Ha ha!” Drake allowed Maxwell to laugh for a second before glaring at him.

“Just kidding. I think you’d be gruff and grumpy, but deep down, when it counts, you’d probably save me from a tiger or something,” continued Riley.

“Well, I’d feel terrible if a tiger ate my only companion,” joked Drake.

“And there wouldn’t be any nobles around, or courtly intrigue, or gossip...” Riley was now looking intensely at him, as if trying to say something other than what her words conveyed. “In fact, I think you might enjoy being stranded more than palace life.”

Staring into those hypnotizing blue eyes, all Drake could think was that he’d sell several body parts if it meant he could be alone with Riley anywhere. Even a deserted island.

The corner of his lip quirked up, “You never know.”

“Okay, Maxwell, it’s your turn.” Riley broke their eye contact before the others could wonder if there was something else to the innocent answer. “Truth or dare?”

“Dealer’s choice! I’m not afraid of anything!” 

“Okay, then, tell us a secret that no one else knows about you.”

Maxwell’s bravado faded right away. “Aw, I’m an open book! Everyone knows everything about me!”

Drake scoffed, thinking back to how weird Maxwell had been just the day before. “Nope.”

He caught Riley’s eye and she nodded, remembering the same thing. “Not true at all.”

“We know almost nothing about you!” countered Hana.

“Well, all anyone ever had to do was ask. Okay, let’s see...” Maxwell reflected for a moment, then said, “I hate carousels.”

“Really?” asked Riley, incredulous. “I thought everyone loved carousels...”

Maxwell elaborated, “When I was little, the royal court took all the kids to a theme park for the Prince’s birthday. But when we were on the carousel, some reporters got in and mobbed us. The security team did their best to get us all out of there, but I was the last one they got to. So I was stuck on this dumb carousel for what seemed like forever with people taking pictures and shouting questions at me.” 

He had a glassy look in his eyes, as if transported back to the horror of helplessly riding a fake horse round and round. 

“I was only three... I had no idea what was really going on. And because our parents had spent so much time trying to warn us about dangers, I thought I was about to get murdered.”

Riley leaned her head on his shoulder, “Aww... Maxwell...”

He shook himself. “I’m fine. I was a long time ago.”

“Still...” Hana sounded disproportionately concerned.

“Aw, geez, this is why I don’t like to talk about serious stuff. I’m fine, you guys!” Maxwell reassured them. “Just forget it! Next up... Hana, truth or dare?”

It struck Drake that this was something Maxwell did all the time and he was an expert at it: seemingly divulging information about himself while at the same time withholding anything of meaning. The fact remained that he had no idea what his friend was going through right now and likely wouldn’t find out anytime soon if Maxwell insisted on bottling it up. Not that  _he_  was a model of mental health.

He turned his attention back to the game. Hana had just decided, “Oh... um... truth!”

“Tell us about your first kiss,” said Maxwell.

Hana bit her lip. “My first kiss?”

“You  _have_  been kissed, right?” Maxwell asked curiously. 

_Tactful._

Hana’s brow furrowed. “Yes, of course.”

“You were engaged, after all!” Riley shot Maxwell a reproachful look.

“Well... it was actually a very chaste courtship. Our first kiss was in front of a professional photographer for our engagement photo shoot. My parents were insistent that we publish a very public announcement in all of the papers. It was... somewhat awkward,” she finished, staring down at her hands.

“He wasn’t a great kisser?” grimaced Riley.

Hana sighed and said, “He missed.”

Drake had never been so confused. “Missed? How?”

“He kissed my ear. Well, he punctured his lip on my earring, actually. He started bleeding. I felt terrible. My parents were furious that he ruined my dress. It was a complete disaster.”

Drake had been about to burst out laughing, when he caught a subtle shake of Riley’s head.

_Okay, not the time._

He carefully avoided looking at Maxwell, whom he knew would also be close to laughter. One glance and they’d both cave.

“Hana, you deserved a better first kiss than that!” Riley put her arm around Hana. Drake saw her smile in absolute delight, holding Riley’s hand.

“Thank you, Riley. But it wasn’t so bad. Looking back, it was actually pretty funny. I mean, who can miss that badly on a kiss?”

Feeling like he had permission, Drake laughed, expecting Maxwell to join him. However, he only gave a small, “Hah!” 

Drake turned to him questioningly and Maxwell continued, “I know. I mean. What a loser...”

By now, Drake was excellent at knowing when his friend was hiding something. “Maxwell...”

Maxwell sighed and slumped his shoulders, “Okay, maybe I accidentally kissed someone’s  _chin_  but that’s, like, a totally understandable mistake, right? I mean, it’s right below the mouth...”

Hana did an amazing job of containing her laughter, only letting out a small giggle, “Hee hee. Yes, that’s completely normal.”

Riley and Drake however, were not so considerate, howling with laughter.

Annoyed after a minute of this, Maxwell talked loudly over their subsiding laughter, “Okay, my turn again! Riley, I dare you to go streak through the ballroom in your underwear!”

_Uh oh._

The exact same thought seemed to have crossed Hana’s mind for her eyes widened and she glanced at Drake instantly.  _Fuck. I cannot see Addams in her underwear again. I might spontaneously combust._

Hana beat him to the punch, “That’s not fair! It’s not her turn.”

“Yeah, and she didn’t even choose ‘dare’,” Drake pointed out

“Well  _someone_  should streak tonight or this game is a bust. Come now, Riley, it’s your game. Who will it be?” asked Maxwell.

This time, she didn’t even  _pretend_  to think, “Drake.”

He rolled his eyes at her and felt his face grow warm.

“You trying to see me shirtless, Addams?”

“Not if you run fast enough!” she said cheerfully.

The group went down to the now deserted ballroom. The tables had already been cleared by the palace staff, leaving a vast, empty room perfect for something like running around half naked.

“The things I do for you people.” It had been his constant refrain lately, yet Drake had to admit that the phrase should be singular. It’s not like he’d do this just for Maxwell or Hana, as much as he liked them.

He took off his shirt and pants and stood there for a split second in his gray boxer briefs. He thought he saw Riley’s eyes glint.

_Fuck it, let’s get this over with._

He sprinted the length of the room, the cool air feeling nice throughout his whole body. He realized he hadn’t known how drunk he was until this moment, when running proved more difficult than he’d anticipated. He managed not to trip, but it was a close thing.

“Woo! Go Drake!” Riley cheered from the other side of the room.

He ran back to them and stopped.

“Satisfied?”

“Yep!” said Maxwell, “Now what?”

Riley grinned. “I’m going to join in!” 

_For the love of God, NO._

She took her clothes off efficiently and yet even then, Drake couldn’t help but think how sexy her confidence was.

_Fuck me, now she’s in her bra and undies. I’m gonna die. That’s it. RIP Drake Walker._

It took all of his concentration and strength not to look below her face at her amazing, perky breasts in a black bra; at her long, shapely legs; and most of all, at her ass, whose every tempting curve was hugged by her matching underwear.

“We can’t make Drake be the only one. Come on, Hana!” urged Riley.

_Yes! Yes, that might make this feel more normal. More like a “friend” thing._

“Hee hee... okay! It does look fun!”

Hana took her clothes off as well. Drake barely registered her creamy underwear, although he would have to be an idiot not to see that she was a beautiful woman too.

“Let’s go!” Hana gestured for them to run.

Riley turned back, “Maxwell?”

“I’ll be the photographer.”

“Maxwell!”

“I mean, I’ll stand guard!”

The three of them took off running and immediately, Drake felt better. The other two were nothing but a blur and so he could be just a normal guy having fun with his friends, rather than a commoner pining for the prince’s fiancée-to-be.

“Wooooooooo!” squealed Riley.

“Freeeeeedom!” roared Drake.

Hana shouted, “Truth or Dare!”

They ran the length of the room twice and then collapsed next to Maxwell, out of breath and with spinning heads.

“Wow, that took a lot out of me,” mumbled Riley.

“Me too. I need to lie down.” said Hana, a hand on her head.

They returned to her room, carrying their clothes. The four friends threw themselves on Hana’s bed, resting for a moment. Drake found himself lying down next to Riley. Her head was resting on her arm and she was staring at him. She reached out and brushed his bare chest with her fingers.

He exhaled sharply and sprang off the bed. The others took this as a sign to do the same and got dressed. Riley stayed on the bed a moment longer, then put her clothes on as well. 

“I can’t believe we just did that!” Hana was flushed and her hair was wilder than Drake had ever seen it. She also looked happier than ever.

Drake ruffled her hair further. “Ah, the magic of Truth or Dare.”

“This was so much fun tonight! Thank you,” she said to them all.

Riley smiled. “Any time.”

“Yeah, you know me. I don’t need much of an excuse to party.” Maxwell did the robot. 

“And I’m... still not sure why I came this time, but I guess I’d do it again.” It had been a risk, and it had almost gotten too dangerous, but nothing happened.

“Drake, I think we’re graduating from friends to  _best_  friends!” Hana beamed.

Drake put his hands up defensively, “Whoa, whoa, whoa... Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I dunno, man. We all drink together, goof off together, spend most of our time together...” Maxwell nudged him.

“No...”

Hana squeezed Drake’s arm. “It’s too late, Drake. We  _are_  best friends!”

“I guess I’m just going to have to accept this, huh?”

“It’s probably for the best. You could do  _much_  worse than the three of us,” said Riley.

_Oh, I know. It’s you guys who should be thinking this twice._

“That’s true, isn’t it?” He sighed. “Okay. You got me.”

“Yay!” exclaimed Maxwell. 

"Yay!” echoed Hana.

Drake crossed his arms. “Please tell me this isn’t a thing we do now.”

Riley patted his arm, reassuring him. “This is not a thing.”

“Thank God. At least someone still has some sanity.”

“I’ve got your back.” She gave him one last squeeze before letting go.

Hana stifled a yawn behind her hand.

“Okay... we should probably call it a night before we break Hana...” Maxwell said, concerned. 

Hana nodded. “Good night! This has been a very memorable evening!” She waved goodbye to everyone as they prepared to leave her room.

“Good night, guys,” Drake said.

“G’night!” Riley repeated.

Once in the hallway, Maxwell went left, while Riley and Drake went the opposite way.

“So, that was fun, right?”

Drake only grunted in response, cursing nobles internally for having such big houses. He couldn’t be alone with her.

“What’s up with you? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“Uh, no, I haven’t.”

It wasn’t exactly convincing, but she couldn’t prove anything.

“Are you tired?”

Drake answered, “Nah,” before thinking, _Shit. Why didn’t I just say yes?!_

“Cool, me neither. Let’s have a drink.”

She pulled him into her room and he found that he didn’t feel like fighting her. Without asking, she poured them both whiskey and they sat down on a futon.

“Truth or Dare?” she asked softly.

“Dare.”

“Down your whiskey.”

“Come on, Addams, at least make it a challenge.” He was just bragging. His throat actually felt like it was on fire and his head hadn’t stopped spinning since the ballroom. He was extremely drunk already.

“Truth or Dare?” It was his turn to ask.

“Dare.”

“Same thing.”

She rolled her eyes at him and gulped down her drink. She managed to swallow all of it, but she had a coughing fit. He thumped her back, although he wasn’t sure that even did anything.

She stopped coughing, but he didn’t remove his hand; she didn’t seem to mind.

“Your turn.” Her voice was still hoarse from the whiskey.

“Truth.”

_Fuck it. Hope this doesn’t bite me in the ass._

“Are you mad at me?”

Her voice was so small, he could barely keep himself from squeezing her. 

_I can’t even blame her for thinking that. I’m such an asshole._

“No. And I’m sorry for making you think that.”

She seemed to be waiting for him to add something, but that was as far as he was willing to go, so she nodded.

“Truth.”

“Do you miss home?”

She was quiet for a long moment. Drake thought he could hear a clock ticking, but he couldn’t see one. He wondered idly what time it was. Late, but how late? He didn’t dare check his phone at that moment.

Finally, she sighed and spoke, “What is home, anyway? I don’t really have anyone, so no.”

She was leaning into him now, his hand still on her back.

“I’m sorry, if you don’t want to–”

“No, I do. It’s actually kind of a relief to be asked. I know my life is a million times better here than it ever was in New York, but sometimes it sucks that people just assume I’m happier here.”

“Aren’t you?”

“No, I am! I definitely am but...”

Drake waited again until she was ready to continue.

“Remember back in Olivia’s estate? When we went out before the storm?”

_You mean the moment I knew I was falling for you, even if I was in denial? Yep._

“Sure,” he replied.

“I told you I knew what it was like to feel like you failed someone.”

“Yeah,” his voice was barely audible. He had been wondering about that but it seemed serious and he didn’t want to push her. He figured she’d tell Liam about it, rather than him.

“I... had a younger brother. Growing up we were really close, but then I left for college and we kind of drifted apart. I thought I could justify it, being a busy college student and all that but... He started having a hard time and I–I didn’t even know about it.”

She squeezed her lips together and continued, “One day I got a call at school that my little brother,” her voice wobbled, “had killed himself.”

Tears were now escaping her eyes, falling too fast and hard to roll down her cheeks. Drake realized he’d been rubbing circles on her back for the past few minutes.

She shook her head. “I didn’t even think to check up on him and I  _knew_ depression ran in the family.” She put her head in her hands and took a deep breath. “In his note he asked me to forgive him. As if it were  _him_  I needed to forgive.”

She let out a small sob, her face still hidden. A few seconds later, she wiped her tears and spoke, her voice still unsteady, “Coming here, I was just running away from my guilt. But I’m happy for the first time in years thanks to you guys, and you’ve helped me believe I do deserve it, despite everything... I haven’t completely forgiven myself, but I’m closer than I’d ever been.”

She gave him a watery smile. “So thanks, for everything.” She squeezed his hand.

He could not believe she was smiling. The horror, the trauma of losing a loved one in such a way and yet she still found something to be grateful for. He felt his own throat closing up, overwhelmed with affection and admiration. Unable to speak, he squeezed her hand back.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, with her head on his shoulder and his hand stroking her back. 

She sniffed and stood up, walking to the mirror. “God, I’m a mess!”

Drake went to stand behind her. “I think a pink nose suits you.” 

She giggled. “And to think I might have met Liam looking like this!” 

Drake’s smile died on his lips.  _Right. Liam._

“Listen, if you’re feeling okay I should leave you to it.”

“Oh, um, yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it felt good to tell someone.”

_So she hadn’t told anyone? Not even Liam?_

He entertained that thought for a second and then shook himself.

_It doesn’t matter. You can be her confidant; she’ll still marry Liam. And that’s okay. Having her in your life is enough, but you need to forget about anything romantic happening between you. She deserves no less than a fucking kingdom._

“You should go meet Liam. I bet you can still make it.”

“You... think I should?” Her expression was unreadable.

“Yeah.” So was his.

His feet carried him to the bar, where he ordered shot after shot. He lost count. His bed was only a few feet away, so he could get as drunk as he wanted. As drunk as it would take to forget about Riley for a second. To forget about her bravery and resilience, her vulnerability, her warmth. 

 _We can be friends. We_ have _to be friends, I can’t lose her. I just have to find somebody else._

As if planned, Kiara plopped down on the stool next to him. He couldn’t really focus her properly, but he still knew she looked beautiful as ever.

“Drake! I haven’t seen you all night!” Her speech was not as proper as usual, maybe even a bit slurred, but Drake was in no condition to notice.

“Theeeerrre you are, mylittlecroissant.” He had no idea he was barely intelligible at this point. Kiara didn’t seem to mind, anyway. “ _Voulez-vous choucher avec moi_?”

“I thought you’d never ask!”

They finished their drinks and Kiara moved to his lap. He didn’t see the bartender leave, but he must have. Drake crashed his lips clumsily onto hers, their teeth accidentally clashing. She responded enthusiastically, her tongue entering his mouth. They made out sloppily, his hands roaming her body.

She pulled him closer by his shirt and let her hands stroke his chest, going lower and lower. She brushed his inner thigh and he felt his cock stir in his pants.

He jumped up from his seat, making her fall to the floor.

“Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry!” He apologized over and over again as he helped her up.

“Kiara, yeeer great, ya know? Like, s-superrr cool an’ev’rything but I can’t. I juss can’t.”

He left her standing there and stumbled back to his room as fast as his condition allowed him. 

As soon as he was through the threshold, he slammed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. His hand trembling with need, he undid his zipper, pulled out his cock and took himself in his hand. 

He started out slowly, just savoring the feeling. Then, without meaning to, he let himself imagine what a smaller, softer hand would feel like. His hand moved faster. Unbidden, an image of Riley in her black underwear and matching bra came to him and he was powerless to stop it. His hand moving at a feverish pace, he had to clench his jaw to stop himself from crying out.

Still, he couldn’t help groaning, “Addams!” through clenched teeth as he spilled all over his hand.

Steadying his breath, he cleaned himself up and staggered to bed, already knowing his future self was going to regret so much of what happened that night.

_I’m so fucked._


	17. Lady in Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Coronation part 1!

Drake woke up with less of a headache than he deserved. His mouth, however, was so dry it felt like paper. He lumbered out of bed and got himself a glass of water, which he promptly gulped down. He went back to bed, intending only to muster enough energy to take a shower, and fell back asleep. 

He shook awake several hours later and felt around his bedside table for his phone. It was midday. With a groan he remembered he was supposed to meet Liam and Bastien at the royal hangar at 11 o’clock. Drake briefly thought about getting up and rushing there, but he figured it was much too late for that.

Thus, he allowed himself a few minutes to parse through his muddled memories of the day before. Everything was quite clear up until Truth or Dare – at least, in comparison with the rest of the night. 

_Okay, so after Truth or Dare, I walked with Addams… Crap, I went to her room, right. And then she told me about… her brother. And then…_

That was where it got complicated. He vaguely recalled going back downstairs and drinking himself into a stupor, but he had a nagging feeling there was something he was forgetting.

Scratching his neck, he glanced at the door to his room and noticed his pants and underwear lying there in a crumpled heap. 

_Oh no._

It all came back to him in a flash; he’d tried to hook up with Kiara and had proceeded to – literally – dump her almost immediately, only to come upstairs and touch himself thinking of Riley.

_Shit. I’m such an asshole. God, Kiara must hate me. And I can’t believe I did…_ that _, thinking of Addams. That’s a line I shouldn’t have crossed._

It would be much, much harder to resist now that he’d done it once. He shook his head at that, dismissing the thought before it could reach his groin. Knowing this would lead nowhere good, he decided to focus on the practical for now. Since he’d woken up so late, he had no idea how he was getting back to the palace, which meant step one was getting ready and finding out.

He did everything on autopilot, doing his best to focus on the small ache pulsing through his head, both to distract himself and as merited punishment for the night before.

As he was gathering his things and dumping them in his bag, Bastien entered his room unannounced. 

“So, had a fun night, did we?” The question was lighthearted but there was an undercurrent of disapproval.

“I know, I overslept. I’m sorry,” muttered Drake, still busy putting everything away.

“It was certainly not ideal, but I suppose there’s no harm done. Prince Liam went on ahead; he can’t afford to be late to his own Coronation, after all. You and I will have to drive.”

“What!” His hangover was not  _too_  bad, but he knew he’d be in for an uncomfortable car ride anyway, to say the least. “Why? Why can’t we take the other plane?”

“I’m afraid the Beaumont brothers borrowed it.” After a small pause, Bastien addded, “Lady Riley must be punctual, too.”

Drake’s hands froze for a moment, holding his toothpaste over his bag. He forced himself to let go of it and recover. “Right. Can’t be late to her own engagement.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Drake. I’m… truly sorry.” 

Bastien’s hand slid off as Drake stooped down to grab his now-full bag. The older man was looking at him with disproportionate concern. He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could.

“I’m fine. Got no one to blame but myself. Let’s go.”

Once he’d loaded his luggage into the limo, he settled in for a long car ride he was bound to spend breathing deeply in order to stave off vomiting. He was desperate to avoid talking, partly because he felt even opening his mouth was risky in his state, and partly due to the event they were driving to. So he closed his eyes and, although sleep wouldn’t come – he’d slept far too much already, and the nausea wouldn’t allow it anyway – he didn’t speak a word until they’d reached the palace.

By the time they got there, the entrance was deserted; the suitors were now dining with the King and Queen and Liam must be in his room getting ready. It was too early for any other guests to have arrived.

Having dropped off his things in his room, he sat down in the main hall, unwilling to go into the ballroom and face tonight’s ceremony yet. After last night, the last thing his body wanted was alcohol, but he didn’t think he could survive this night without a drink. His hand went to his inside pocket and closed around his flask. 

_You can’t start drinking your emergency whiskey now! It hasn’t even started!_

_Yeah and it already sucks._

He was in the middle of this internal debate, when a tearful Hana came out of the dining room where the suitors were having dinner with the King and Queen. 

“Hana?”

Hana’s wiped her tears hastily before she even turned to see who’d called her.

“Oh, Drake. It’s you.” She gave him a small smile and went to sit down next to him. “I always seem to run into you when I’m distraught.” She blushed a little.

“Maybe I’m bad luck,” said Drake, only half joking.

“Don’t say that! You’ve been so kind to me, even when we weren’t friends.”

Drake bit his tongue before he could reply with, “Who says we’re friends now?” He did actually consider her his friend, but old habits die hard. 

He asked instead, “So what’s up?”

“My parents are… disappointed with my performance in court. I am to return home as soon as the Coronation is over.”

“What the hell? I… don’t know what to say, that sucks.”

Hana sighed. “It does, doesn’t it? I’ve been so free here, and I’ve made friends… I’ll probably never see Riley again.” 

A teardrop fell on her dress, making the silver fabric appear dark grey. Drake patted her back, saying nothing.

In between quiet sobs, Hana said, “And now she’ll never know how I feel…”

Drake turned to look at her. “Why?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why wouldn’t she know how you feel about her? If  _you_ want her toknow before you go, you can choose to tell her, Hana. And if you’re leaving tomorrow then you’ve got nothing to lose, right?”

She met his gaze. Her lips were trembling and she was sniffling, but she seemed calmer. She wiped her tears, being careful not to ruin her makeup.

“Is it obvious I’ve been crying?”

Surprisingly, there was only the faintest hint of pink to her nose and the red in her eyes was rapidly fading.  _Leave it to Hana to cry prettily._ Drake smiled softly.

“Nah, you’re good. So you’re telling her?”

“I’m… not sure yet, but you’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you… again, Drake. I said I was going to the ladies’ room so I should return to the dining room before I’m missed.” She gave him a quick, grateful peck on the cheek before going back through the door she came from.

Drake was left to ponder the fact that he’d just encouraged someone to confess their feelings for the same girl for whom he himself was head over heels. 

_Off to a good start._

He took a swig of his flask.


	18. To Be a Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Coronation part 2!

He was still sitting there, stealing small sips from his flask whenever his thoughts took him to unwanted places – which meant it was significantly lighter than it had been at the beginning of the night – when he caught a glimpse of Lady Penelope coming out of the dining room. By the sounds of chatter behind her, he gathered the dinner was over.

He leapt to his feet and power-walked upstairs, not ready to see Riley yet, or Kiara, for that matter. He reached his room, refilled his flask –  _I’ve got a feeling I’m gonna need it_  – and took a direct route into the ballroom, effectively avoiding the gift-giving ceremony.

Drake let out a sigh of relief; he really wasn’t interested in seeing a long line of beautiful women waiting eagerly to shower Liam with gifts. Least of all Riley.

It was still quite early, yet the ballroom was already packed and buzzing with excitement. This was a momentous occasion; the first time in centuries their Prince was crowned King and picked a Queen on the same evening. The events of tonight would change the course of their small country for years to come and all invited, nobles and commoners alike, were dying to witness them.

Drake attempted to look at it from that perspective, but try as he might, he could not see this objectively. He was in too deep. He stalked to a secluded corner, snatching an abandoned glass of champagne from a table on his way there, and leaned against the wall.

“Drake!”

 _Oh no._  

He didn’t think he could take Maxwell’s cheerfulness at a time like this. Not wanting to give explanations about his melancholy mood, he plastered a smile on his face.

“Hey, Maxwell!”

His friend leaned on the wall next to him.

“Wha-what is happening to your face? What are you doing?”

“Huh? My face? Oh, fuck you! I was smiling, you dick.”

Maxwell burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry! I’m just not used to it! I though maybe you were being forced or something!”

 _That’s not too far off..._  

At least he could scowl freely now.

Maxwell sighed dramatically. Drake looked down at his champagne. Another sigh came, slightly louder. Drake rolled his eyes and pointedly looked away from Maxwell. The latter let out a ridiculous sigh.

“WHAT?!”

Maxwell flinched. “Nothing, I just... don’t know how I feel about this.”

“What do you mean ‘this’?”

“Riley. She seemed so nervous tonight and that’s so unlike her. I guess I wonder whether we’re pressuring her into this, you know?

A part of Drake was cheering for Maxwell. 

_Of course she’s being pressured into this! A few months ago she was a waitress in New York! She and Liam don’t even know each other that well!_

The other part of him was thinking that he would much rather get this over with; have her be Liam’s fiancée, untouchable and unattainable so he could at least try to move on.

As it was, all he could utter was a noncommittal, “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“I hope so because I want her to be happy but also, if she doesn’t marry Liam, it might be the end of House Beaumont,” he ended with uncharacteristic solemnity.

_Damn. It’s gotta be tough being so used to being rich and then losing everything. Not to mention the pressure to live up to their lineage or whatever._

Not for the first time and despite the advantages being a noble proffered, Drake was thankful he wasn’t one.

He gave Maxwell a side hug, and his friend clapped him on the back. It took very little to please Maxwell; a willing ear and a few words of encouragement and he was good as new and ready to party.

“Thanks, Drake, you always know what to say.” 

Drake snorted. “Bye, Maxwell.”

“See you on the dance floor!”

He shook his head at that as Maxwell returned to his table, where Bertrand was already sitting stiffly.

Drake stood awkwardly, feeling out of place in the elegant, ornate ballroom even without his usual denim-shirt-over-a-white-t-shirt combo. The standing around and being ill at ease was par for the course for him when it came to this kind of events, but there was something different this time. Underneath the awkwardness, he felt anxious, more anxious than he ever remembered feeling.

It wasn’t very noticeable, although Liam would normally be able to tell if he weren’t so busy being infatuated. He felt a stab of bitterness at that and immediately regretted it. If anyone was in the wrong here it was him. He knew from the very beginning what the situation was, the reason she was even in Cordonia. He had absolutely no business feeling anything other than friendship towards her, at most. And yet…

The suitors’ arrival was announced and, like everybody else in the ballroom, he turned his head automatically towards the entrance. He spotted her with that laser precision that he seemed to have developed against his will. She looked stunning in a daring red dress, which she had no doubt chosen – the thought made him smile to himself – to spite Olivia.

He shook his head with a mix of amusement and annoyance. Why did she have to be this way? How could she find a way to make him laugh when she wasn’t even saying anything? But it was more than that. He couldn’t get over how brave she always was, how she always took the first step, how she pushed against the walls he’d built; walls he never thought anyone would care enough to try to break down.

At that point he interrupted his train of thought, knowing it didn’t lead anywhere pleasant. Sure, they’d had a few… moments between them, but when push came to shove, Liam would offer her a kingdom, and she would choose him, as she deserved. He couldn’t blame her. Well, a small, petty part of him could, but he tried his hardest to shove it way down deep; neither of them deserved his resentment.

A deafening sound of trumpets drowned out his musings and Liam was announced. He was dressed in his princely uniform and looked more handsome than ever. Drake felt a twinge of jealousy that was quickly overwhelmed by a rush of affection for his best friend. 

_He has so much riding on tonight. He must be shitting himself._

Riley was getting the last word in a classic biting exchange with Olivia, before taking Liam’s hand and letting him lead the way to the dance floor. Drake watched in admiration and envy as they danced a perfect waltz. She twirled gracefully and he felt all his worst instincts, his most spiteful feelings bubble up inside him. 

_See? She’s definitely one of them now, you idiot. I can’t believe you thought even for a second that she might choose you._

He’d been so preoccupied with the savage pleasure of giving in, of blaming her, Liam, the whole world, that he hadn’t noticed the song ending. He came back to and saw Olivia interrupt Liam and Riley’s seemingly intimate conversation. For the second time in as many days, he found himself cheering internally for one of his least favorite people. 

_Who the hell have I become?_

He drifted off again and only remembered where he was when he realized Riley was making a beeline for him. 

“Riley.” The sight of her in that seductive red dress startled him into calling her by her first name.

“Drake.” She sounded just as shocked as he felt at his slip up. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

He suspected she was only saying that to fill the silence that threatened to form between them; after all, he’d been at nearly every royal event this season. This was, however, the one event he would have given up whiskey forever just to get out of. He didn’t think she understood how unbearable this was for him, but maybe he wasn’t giving her enough credit.

“Oh?” she questioned. He hated her in that moment. Why make this so much more difficult? Why pretend like she didn’t know what he was talking about, when she knew full well that she was minutes away of getting engaged to his best friend? It made him want to punch a wall to see what looked like genuine confusion on the face he’d come to know so well.

“You look exactly like one of them,” he spit out. “I guess you are one of them, now.”

He regretted the words as soon as he said them, knowing they weren’t just harsh, but unfair; she hadn’t changed at all. Maybe that was why he said it, to try to make himself believe that she was different, that she was part of that group he despised, to stop feeling this goddamn way about her.

“This time tomorrow, you might be the future queen. And then our lives are going to go in very different directions.” There. He definitely didn’t fix it, but at least he voiced a small part of his concerns, rather than hiding behind cruel comments.

“Drake, if I’m chosen to be the Prince’s bride, you’ll have to start bowing to me,” she joked in reply. 

The corner of his mouth quirked up. 

 _Leave it to Addams to lighten the mood._  

“Heh. The bowing, I can handle.”

_You being married to my best friend? Not so much._

He settled for a more subtle, “But I’ll also have to attend your wedding…” Even that much crossed the line. He knew that, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“Drake...” she whispered. She lifted her hand as if to touch his arm and he shied away. If she touched him... 

This was not the time or the place. He shrugged a bit, shaking himself out of it. Time to be a grown up for a change. “Forget it. You know what? I’m happy for you. If anyone deserves to live happily ever after, it’s you, Riley.” 

He said this last part fervently, surprised at how much he meant it. It was nice to know that underneath all his shitty, selfish feelings, he still cared more about others’ happiness, especially her and Liam’s. 

She gave him a small smile and, stubborn as always, reached for his arm. “If I get too cocky, just remind me that the first time we met, I was taking out the garbage and waiting tables.”

“Feels like so long ago, now. Can’t believe it’s only been a few months.” To think he’d just seen her as “the cute waitress” at first, and then Liam’s suitor, and then, unfortunately, everything he wanted in a girl. 

Riley’s smile was dreamy. “Yeah. But after everything that’s happened, it feels more like once upon a time...”

“Spare me, Addams. Fairy tales are for kids.” He’d learned that a long time ago. Cinderella would never fit in with the nobles, no matter how badly she wanted to and commoners didn’t get the girl, not matter how “noble” their heart.

Riley let go of his arm. “I suppose you’re right. Life here isn’t all sparkles and fairy godmothers.”

She looked so downcast in admitting this, so different from the enthusiastic, carefree girl that he’d judged her to be too soon. It wasn’t that she’d changed, it was that he knew her now, in all her amazing complexity. Because she was that joyful girl. Yet she was also kind, sad, perceptive, afraid, spontaneous, decisive...

Still, all he’d wanted when she had arrived in Cordonia was for her to be careful, to not let the glitz and glamour blind her to the nobles’ other, uglier face. And he’d done it. The one thing he’d succeeded at was getting her to believe him. Of course, it had cost him getting closer to her and developing that stupid crush, but at least she might be safe now. 

“I’m glad you’re seeing it for what it is.”

“It’s nice to get a chance to talk to you tonight.”

Her hand was back on his arm and her smile was so sincere he felt his chest swell. How could she be glad to talk to him when practically the first thing he’d done tonight was insult her?

_I am so consistently an asshole._

“Riley, I...”

“What is it?”

_How do I apologize for everything I’m still feeling?_

“I...”

“There you guys are!” came Hana’s voice from behind Riley.

She looked much more cheerful than before. In fact, if Drake hadn’t known she’d been upset earlier, he never would’ve guessed from the dazzling smile she gave him and Riley.

Maxwell, who was just behind Hana and also seemed less worried than before, took a long look at Drake. His eyebrows shot up. “Whoa, Drake dressed up.” 

Drake shook his head at him, incredulous that they’d had a whole conversation during which Maxwell hadn’t noticed him wearing a suit. He was just about to comment something about Maxwell’s observational skills or lack thereof, when a waltz started playing.

He glanced at Liam, expecting him to come claim Riley, but he was immediately snatched by Madeleine. Drake pumped his fist down discreetly. 

He felt a warm hand envelop his open hand and looked up to see Riley biting her bottom lip.

“Drake, may I have this dance?”

Drake looked around, as if making sure no other Drakes were standing nearby. “Me? I thought I told you, I don’t know how to waltz.”

Once again he felt torn between desperately wanting to spend time with her, even if it meant dancing, and dread at having to let her go when the song finished. 

He would have slowly come to the conclusion that the eventual pain would be worth it, but he forgot who he was talking to; Riley was much faster that he was and she got what she wanted.

“Then you can follow my lead.”

She pulled him gently by the hand to the dance floor. The hand that wasn’t holding hers hovered hesitantly over her waist, not daring to touch her in front of all these people... in front of Liam, even if he wasn’t looking. 

Riley placed his hand firmly on her waist and led him, so that he could pretend to lead her. Despite her direction, Drake was too concentrated on not tripping or stepping on her to enjoy these scarce moments in which he was allowed to be so close to her.

“Is this right?”

She was looking up at him and he could swear she’d never looked more beautiful. “It’s perfect. You’re doing great. Just relax.”

Usually, he would’ve rolled his eyes at advice as trite as “just relax” but it was accompanied by such a charming smile that it made him forget about absolutely everything. For that moment, they could just be Drake and Riley, dancing. 

_It’s like every shitty cliché is true._

He smiled at that and loosened his shoulders, which he didn’t realize he’d been tensing. Feeling more at ease, he finally paid some attention to his companion. He’d seen her dance before, of course, though only ever from an outsiders perspective. Yet he didn’t know whether it was because she was dancing in his arms, but he was suddenly struck by how graceful she was.

“You’re... you’re really good at this, Addams.”

She arched an eyebrow. “I’m good at this? Don’t sound so surprised! You have seen me dance before, haven’t you?”

“I must not’ve been paying attention.”

He smirked a little. 

 _I’m such a liar._  

Practically all he’d been doing for months now was paying attention to her, her every word, gesture and move. Of course he’d paid attention! He just hadn’t dared imagine himself dancing with her and holding her like this, in front of the whole court. In front of Liam. It was enough to make him want to picture what it could be like if... 

But no, what was the use in daydreaming impossible things? He’d have plenty of time to do that once she was his best friend’s fiancée and therefore strictly off-limits.

“You should give me a little credit,” she said tilting her head.

 _Ha, do I._  

It was actually hard now to remember how little credit he’d given her when she first arrived in Cordonia, how he’d assumed he knew better. Who’d have thought she would end up teaching him so much more about friendship, trust... even alcohol!

“I do! It’s just... I didn’t realize.”

“You should twirl me now.”

Drake, who had found a rhythm he felt safe in, was caught off guard, “Huh?”

“Twirl me! Just lift you arm, and I’ll do the rest.”

He obliged, lifting his arm for her to twirl beneath. She executed a perfect spin that made her dress billow out, showing glimpses of her legs. Her hair whipped around and he caught a whiff of her floral perfume.

“That was...” was all he could say, eyes wide.

“Why Drake, you look impressed.” It was her turn to smirk.

“You always seem to impress me, Addams,” he said truthfully. 

_It’s all she’s ever done._

The terrible moment he’d anticipated since before they’d started dancing came; the song was over. He dropped his hands as if she’d burned him, knowing this would be the last time he’d get to be that close to her. He couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Well, Addams. I guess I should thank you for the dance.”

She straightened his jacket playfully, “We’ll make a gentleman of you yet.”

He chuckled. If someone had said that to him months ago, he would’ve been skeptical, maybe even offended. But now, with her, it didn’t seem like such a far-fetched possibility. 

_Hell, I dressed up tonight._

They walked back to where Maxwell and Hana were standing as waiters brought out trays upon trays of small, elegant appetizers.

Maxwell, a sheen of sweat already on his forehead –  _What the hell? It was a waltz!_  – waited for them only long enough to say, “Mmm! Ready to hit the hors d’oeuvres table?”

“I’d love to,” agreed Hana.

Drake threw his head back. “Great, more fancy finger food.”

Hana rolled her eyes at him. 

 _Huh. I don’t think she’d ever done that before. Well, she did learn from the best._  

“It’ll be fun! Come on!”

Hana took his arm and all but dragged him to the table, Riley following close behind, laughing. 

Maxwell was going up and down the table, inspecting every option. “Man, these look fancy! Think these’ll stack up to the appetizers we made?”

“Only one way to find out,” said Riley, grabbing one of the hors d’oeuvres.

“Oh, the marinated chicken skewer. Excellent choice,” approved Hana.

Riley ate it all in one bite and closed her eyes in delight. “Okay, it’s delicious...”

“But nothing compared to our caviar and paprika creation!” exclaimed Maxwell, giving her finger guns.

Hana was bemused. “You guys still haven’t really explained why you were the ones making the appetizers that day.”

There was a short, awkward pause. Riley glanced at Drake, and he was pleased to see they were on the same page: it was not their secret to tell. 

Riley broke the silence before it got too obvious, “House Beaumont personally ensures quality.”

Drake noticed Maxwell shoot Riley a grateful smile.

“Oh, a very hands-on approach to everything?” admired Hana. “They say that all the best restaurants are run that way.”

Drake cleared his throat, feeling a little guilty for hiding this from Hana, but if Maxwell wasn’t ready, he wasn’t ready. “That’s us... practically a Michelin-star restaurant...”

“Well, one can’t argue with the results!” replied Hana.

“Yeah, and there’s no one I trust more that Riley and Drake when it comes to... basically anything.” Maxwell put his arms around him and Riley.

“Heh. Thanks, Maxwell.” Riley leaned her head on his shoulder.

“Thanks, buddy,” said Drake, clapping his back. 

He was surprised to realize that he trusted Maxwell too, much more than he would’ve thought. For so many years, Liam and Bastien had been the only two people he could trust... and Savannah, of course, but what kind of big brother would burden his little sister with his problems? And now... he’d made friends. 

_Hell, I have so much to thank Addams for._

Hana looked at each of them in turn. “I’m going to miss you three.”

_Oh. Right._

He’d made friends and one of them was already leaving.

Maxwell lowered his arms. “Miss us?”

Drake was unsure where he stood in this situation. Was it okay that he already knew or should he keep quiet?

Hana sighed. “Lady Riley already knows this, but...” 

_Okay, so I should keep my mouth shut._

“Tonight’s my last night at court. My parents have officially called me home. I must depart tomorrow morning.” Hana’s voice wavered a bit, but she had admirable control over herself. 

“That sucks!” Maxwell enveloped Hana in a bear hug, completely obscuring her from view, though they could hear her giggling.

Maxwell stepped back and Hana reemerged, her hair the tiniest bit disheveled. 

Drake’s eyes met hers, which were watery. “I’m really sorry to see you go, Hana.” He squeezed her hand.

She squeezed back and said, “Thanks, Drake.”

In the most Maxwell of bright sides, Maxwell suggested, “But hey... if this is your last night here, then you’ve got nothing left to lose!”

Hana grimaced, “Except my dignity.”

Maxwell replied with, “Dignity is overrated,” at the same time as Drake mouthed it to Riley. He knew his friend well. Riley snorted.

“Maxwell...” Hana said, uncertain, but tempted.

“I’m just saying... you know how people are always saying ‘party like there’s no tomorrow’? Well, for you, there really is no tomorrow. So we should really paaaaaaarty!” Maxwell cupped his hands in order to more efficiently yell “party”.

Hana twisted her hands. “I don’t know...”

Maxwell elbowed her lightly. “Come on. There must be a few things that you’ve been dying to do since you came here.”

Hana bit her lip, but a smile was forming on her face. “Well... There are a few things I never checked off my list... but I don’t know...”

“It’ll be fun for all of us...” Riley encouraged her.

Hana’s eyes shone once she heard Riley agree. “Well... okay! What should we do first?”

_Oh, Hana, always eager to please. Her parents really did a number on her._

Riley voiced his thoughts, “Tonight should be about what you want to do. Let’s make some memories.”

Hana took a moment to think about what she wanted to do, then said, “It’d be nice to have a special moment with each of you.” She turned to look at him. “Drake, my last moment with you should definitely involve whiskey.”

He grinned, “Now I like where this is going. What did you have in mind?”

Hana took a deep breath as if to strengthen her resolve. “I want to have a shot of whiskey with you.”

“I’m sold.”

“But not the bar’s whiskey,” she added. “Your whiskey.”

Drake’s mouth fell open.

Riley was grinning now. “You heard her.”

“You want me to share my ‘break in case of emergency’ whiskey? I’m not sure Hana can handle it.”

“Come on...” Riley poked him. “She’s tougher than she looks.”

Drake already knew that. It was really not a matter of Hana’s tolerance for alcohol, it was about him surviving this goddamned event.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this...” He scratched his neck, stalling so he could picture how much whiskey he had left and how much he could afford to share. 

“Drake...” said Hana expectantly.

He stretched his arms, as if inviting them to search him. “Who’s to say I even have whiskey on me? This is a formal event.”

Riley snorted. “Drake...” Her voice was a warning. 

“Okay, okay!” He reached inside his jacket and pulled out his full flask. Hana passed him two shot glasses from the table. He filled them both and gave one to Hana.

“None for the rest of us?” Maxwell pouted.

“This is why I never wanted friends,” he grumbled in response, as he set his shot down and Riley passed his two more.

He filled them generously and distributed them. 

 _Well, what the hell. It’s Hana’s last night._  

He did, however, make sure he had a sip or two left for himself, for emergencies.

“Here,” he put his shot at the center of their little circle. “To you, Hana.”

They all drank. Hana was the only one who sputtered. 

“That’s strong,” was all she could manage, her voice hoarse.

Drake laughed. “Of course. It’s my personal stash. You think I’d get the weak stuff?”

Hana coughed before speaking, her voice returning to its usual sweetness. “You know, Drake, you’re far nicer than you let on. I’m going to miss you.”

She came forward and hugged him. He found himself hugging her back before he had time to register what was happening. He didn’t think anyone had ever called him nice before.

“Hell, I’ll miss you too. You’re nothing like the other nobles.” 

_I’ve been misjudging left and right this season._

Hana let go so he could make eye contact with him. Her eyes were full of unshed tears and Drake realized that he was not too far from that himself. “Thanks, Drake. That means a lot.”

He cleared his throat, aware that his voice would sound choked if he spoke.  “Okay, that’s about all the sentimentality I can handle for one night. Good luck, Hana.”

He hurried away from them, overcome with a confusing mixture of feelings.

_I miss when I had the emotional range of a teaspoon._

The problem with that was, though, that now that he’d been having feelings, he was frequently overwhelmed by them due to his lack of experience. He exhaled, searching for something to do.

He saw Kiara standing and talking to Penelope. As he watched, the latter was asked to dance by some noble he couldn’t quite place, leaving Kiara standing alone. He knew he wouldn’t have much time before somebody else demanded the attention of the attractive woman, so he strode over to her.

“Wanna dance?”

“Mon Dieu, you have some nerve,” she snapped, although she gave him her hand.

They moved to dance floor and Drake couldn’t help but compare this to his waltz with Riley earlier. Kiara was not looking at him but smiling a rather artificial smile out at the crowd. Because she was more concerned with looking good herself, she wasn’t bothering to help Drake’s beginner’s feet with the rhythm. As a result, Drake could barely keep up, which was why he spent the first few seconds in silence.

“So? I assume you didn’t ask me to dance so you could show off your amazing moves,” she sneered.

Drake felt his neck grow hot. 

_Okay, I totally deserved that._

“You assume right. I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

Kiara stayed silent and met his eye; he took this as his cue to continue.

“Look, you’re a beautiful, intelligent woman. Any man would be–”

“Do not say lucky, Drake. What I want to know is how you could humiliate me the way you did last night.”

There was real hurt in her eyes, which only made him feel guiltier. He looked down at his stumbling feet.

“You’re right. You deserve better than meaningless platitudes, even if they are true. I’m sorry about last night. I can’t say much more than that. I was drunk, but that’s no excuse. What it boils down to is, there’s someone else. And I shouldn’t have tried anything with you knowing that. So I’m sorry.”

There was a long pause. Drake felt himself starting to sweat, whether from the dance or the nerves, he couldn’t tell.

“Well. At the very least that is an adult apology. I... forgive you, Drake. I must admit, I was no fit state to make decisions either, so you may have saved us both a lot of regret. Thank you for being honest with me.”

“And for the dance,” she added as the music finished. She bowed her head curtly and hastened toward Olivia.

Drake stood on the dance floor for a second or two, relieved at her accepting his apology and still feeling remnants of guilt. He felt someone clap his back.

“Was that Lady Kiara I just saw dancing with you?” asked Liam coyly.

Drake rolled his eyes at his friend. “It’s not like that.” 

 _If he only knew how_ not  _like that it is..._

“If you say so...” said Liam, sounding unconvinced. 

“So how’re you holding up?” Although he was clearly eager to change the subject, Drake was also sincere in wanting to know.

“I am actually... fine. I feel so much better than I have all season. I believe it is because I’m relieved it all ends tonight.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. So you’re definitely choosing...?”

“Riley,” said Liam resolutely, with a nod and a smile.

Drake’s stomach feel to his knees. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding out dumb, pointless hope that Liam might choose somebody else until that moment.

_Are you kidding me? You knew this from day one, you fucking idiot._

He hastily turned his grimace into a smile and replied, “Yep, yeah, thought so. That’s great. Amazing. Can’t wait! Future Queen of Cordonia Riley Addams.” His voice caught. He swallowed. “Nice ring to it.”

“ _If_ she says yes.” Liam was still smiling, but Drake knew him well enough to see the legitimate worry in his eyes.

He snorted. “Come on, Liam. In what world would a girl turn  _you_  down? She’ll say yes, okay? I’m 100% sure. In fact, I’ll bet you 50 pushups, that’s how sure I am. You guys... deserve each other.”

Liam chuckled. “Well, if the price to pay is 50 pushup I will gladly do them. Thank you, Drake. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I promised Lady Penelope the next dance.”

Drake waved his friend off and looked towards the bar. It was incredibly crowded. He took out his flask and drained the meager residue of whiskey he had left in one gulp. 

_This is it. I knew I would need my whiskey._

He remembered then an outdoor bar he’d snuck away to a few times during parties like this. Sometimes with Liam, sometimes alone when the Prince couldn’t escape his duties. It that was usually empty because it was tucked away from the ballroom. His feet started taking him there automatically.

Sure enough, the bar was blessedly empty, with the downside of not having a bartender either. 

_Oh well, what am I, a noble? I can pour my own drinks._

He’d just sat down on one of the stools, perusing the bottles behind the bar, when he heard footsteps. 

“Can we talk?”

He should’ve expected Riley to follow him; it was basically what she’d been doing ever since they’d met and had even slipped her way through his walls. He sighed and gestured at the empty seat next to his.

“Go ahead. You know I’m always willing to talk to you.” 

_Now that’s something I’d never said before!_

“What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?” he added, looking around the deserted bar.

“Well, lucky for you,” said Riley, already standing up, “in addition to being a waitress, I took a turn or two are the bar whenever the occasion called for it.”

She walked behind the bar and took out a cocktail shaker. 

_She knows how to make drinks? I never stood a chance._

“You’re gonna make me a drink?” 

“The best you’ve ever had,” she replied, cocky. “Now, let’s get started. First we need something sour.” She looked under the bar and pulled out a bottle. “Apple cider vinegar. Sour, just like you.” 

She stuck her tongue out at him and poured the liquid into the shaker. 

_So mature._

He chuckled. “Thanks.”

“I’m only teasing,” she winked. “Next, something down-to-earth. Orange juice.”

She took the carton out and poured a lot more juice than she had vinegar.

“Alright...”

“And then we top it off with... A double shot of whiskey,” she beamed at him as she grabbed the bottle from behind her and poured it generously.

“Now you’re talking,” he beamed back as she shook the cocktail vigorously. “You know, you could’ve just poured me whiskey on the rocks and I would’ve been a happy man.”

She put her hands on her hips. “And where would the fun be in that? Now, are you ready for the final result?”

“Never been more ready.”

She took a glass from under the bar and poured the drink into it. She slid it to Drake, who took a small sip. He had to admit, it was delicious. The apple cider vinegar accentuated the apple-like taste of the whiskey, while the orange juice softened the burn and left a sweet aftertaste. 

“Well?” She looked adorably anxious as she waited for his verdict.

Drake toasted his glass to hers. “I could get used to this.”

She smirked and poured herself a glass before coming back around the bar and sitting next to him again.

“Done playing bartender?”

“Last customer didn’t even leave a tip!” she said with a frown.

Drake patted his pockets pretending to look for something. “Sorry. Must’ve left my wallet in my other fancy jacket.”

She giggled. Then, sobering up, she looked him straight in the eye and said in a low voice, “Speaking of which, you look handsome.”

Drake was blushing so goddamned much, the thought made him blush even more. He stared at his shoes and mumbled, “I mean, I know I’m no Prince Liam...”

He couldn’t pretend he wasn’t pleased she’d noticed. After all, he had done it for her and he had reached the point where he could admit that, at least to himself.

She touched his hand and waited for him to look up. “You clean up good, Drake.”

There was something in her voice –  _Is it a little more raspy than usual?_  – that made him believe her. 

“Thanks.”

“And here I thought you said you’d only dress up if there was someone you wanted to impress.” She said it as a statement, but he could hear the question behind it. 

_I shouldn’t say anything but... what the hell, this is our last conversation with her being single._

He licked his lips. “Yeah, well... I guess maybe I found someone worth impressing.”

“Drake...” Her thumb rubbed his hand softly and he looked at their them before removing his. 

_We’re running out of time._

“If only for tonight.” He turned towards the bar and took another sip of his drink. “Anyway. I’m glad we were able to have a few minutes out here together. Thanks for the drink, Addams.”

She might have sensed his intention to leave, because the words tumbled out of her mouth, “Hey, you’re always calling me by my last name... and I don’t even know yours.”

He scoffed, “And you consider us to be friends.”

“I do. So tell me.”

“What is it with you and prying into my life? Can’t you let a man keep a few walls up?” He tried to say it light-heartedly, but he knew the real frustration behind the question bled into his tone.

_If she hadn’t been so goddamned nosy and caring, asking about Savannah and shit, I wouldn’t be in this mess.  
_

She raised an impatient eyebrow at his outburst, “I think we’re a little bit beyond these games by now. Come on, tell me.”

He sighed in defeat. “If you must know... it’s Walker.”

“Walker, huh? I guess I’d better start calling you Walker.”

“Oh, no...” He put his head in his hands.

“What’s wrong, Walker?” she punched his arm. “Turnabout’s fair play!”

“Calling you by your last name is my thing,” he pointed at her accusingly.

“Too bad, Walker,” she said between laughs.

He shrugged, “Fine, I guess I can start calling you Riley.”

Her eyes widened in horror, as if she hadn’t considered the possibility of him saying that. “It just sounds weird now to hear you say that!”

“See?”

She put her hands up. “Okay, okay. Drake it is.”

He took a long sip from his drink, more to have something to do than anything else. His previous desire to leave had vanished. It was enough for now to be sitting here with her, and he intended to savor it.

“I wanted to ask...” she broke the silence, “it seemed like you were about to say something earlier?”

Right, he owed her an apology. He gave himself a moment to think on how to phrase it. He didn’t want to apologize for his feelings, not anymore. It wasn’t wrong that he felt them – they  _couldn’t_ be wrong, not when Riley was such a wonderful person –  it  _would_  be wrong, however, if he acted on them after tonight. 

At length, he spoke, “I was going to say that I was wrong. No matter what happens tonight... Crown or no crown, engaged or... not. You’re still you.”

Riley looked dubious. It was clear his comment had really got to her. “Weren’t you just telling me how I’m one of them now?”

This time, he touched her hand, wanting to take away the pain he’d caused. “I was being an idiot. I shouldn’t have said that. I knew it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. You didn’t deserve that.”

She moved his hand away from his. “Drake, is that as close as you come to an apology?”

Even that she presented as a challenge. He loved that about her. She challenged him to do stuff, big and small. Here, he was challenging him to  _be_  better. 

He smiled at her softly. “You don’t let me get away with anything, do you? Lady Riley Addams, I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

Although said in a jokey manner, there was real feeling behind the apology and she appeared to hear it, because she replied with a genuine, “Thank you.”

Drake decided to elaborate. If she was going to be part of her life as a friend for the foreseeable future, he better start practicing talking to her like a friend.“It’s just... in that moment, when I saw you at the ball...” 

He hesitated, wondering how best to explain this so she could understand him. “You reminded me of Savannah. How she was the last night we went out with the nobles, at that party. She was so happy in her fancy gown, with her hair all done up. So hopeful. She lit up the entire room.” An unconscious smile spread across his face as he remembered Savannah’s giddiness that night, how long she’d spent getting ready. 

“She really believed she’d made it. That she was one of them.” He stared at his balled fists. “And I still don’t even know what happened to her, what made her leave. But it was bad. It was something that broke her. I’ll never forget how devastated she looked the day before she disappeared. She looked... hopeless. Like she’d given up.” 

He looked up at her, remembering their conversation from the night before and worrying he might have brought up traumatic memories for her in speaking of this. Her eyes, however, were full of empathy for him and she reached for his hand once more. 

Reassured, he continued, “And when I looked at you tonight... I couldn’t stop myself from imagining the same thing happening to you. This place seems shiny and wonderful, but the truth is, it breaks people, Addams. I don’t ever want to see you broken.”

He squeezed her hand, hoping she could feel how much he cared, how afraid he was for her.

“Drake,” she said gently, “I’m not Savannah.”

He intertwined their fingers, feeling a thrill at the pit of his stomach. “Believe me, I know that. You’re stronger than she ever was. If anyone can survive this place... it’s you.” 

“Well, I don’t know about that,” she said modestly. “But I did want to thank you properly. For yesterday.”

He hadn’t been sure she remembered, as she had been drunk too. He’d really wanted to make sure she didn’t regret sharing such a deeply personal memory with him, but he hadn’t known how to ask. 

“You have nothing to thank me for. If anything, I should thank you for, y’know, trusting me and...”

He trailed off. He’d thought about thanking her for showing him what real strength looked like, but didn’t know how she’d take it. At minimum, she would deny being strong, as she had done a moment ago. Mostly, though, he didn’t want her to feel pressured or like she had to be strong all the time. He wanted to be the person that she came to at times like yesterday, when she need to be... not weak, but vulnerable for a moment. 

It was no exaggeration to say she was the strongest person he knew, along with Liam, maybe. Another reason they belonged together. The way they could go through life with so much pain and such deep wounds, and use that to be kinder to others? It blew his mind.

He ran his fingers though his hair. “Hell, Addams. My life would’ve been so much easier if I could’ve just hated you. I–”

He sighed. He couldn’t. She was minutes away from being his best friend’s fiancée. He really should leave. He looked down at their hands, completely unwilling to stop holding hers.

She touched her chin so he would raise his gaze. “What were you thinking just now?”

_To hell with it._

“I was thinking... if this is the last time I’m going to be alone with you before you’re an engaged woman... I’d be a damned fool not to kiss you.”

For a moment, she looked shocked and he thought she might slap him or something. Then she leaned in and whispered, “Drake, kiss me now.”

He took the back of her head and pulled her the rest of the way to him. He felt her lips again, so soft against his and he realized he had been wanting this every waking second ever since the first time they’d kissed a couple of days ago. It was hard to believe it had only been that long; every minute since then seemed wasted. 

He felt her tongue on his bottom lip and had to force back a groan of pleasure. This could get out of control very fast. He pulled away. She pouted and he laughed a little, trying to hang on to the feeling of pure happiness he was experiencing.

“Addams... I want to remember this. Right here. I don’t want to know what happens next. I just want to stay in this moment here with you.”

He brushed her hair behind her ear and she breathed, “Drake...”

She crashed her lips to his and this time there was no stopping her, not that Drake had really wanted to. Her tongue entered his mouth and he met it with his. Their lips moved in sync as she ran her fingers through his hair and he held the back of her head. Her teeth grazed his bottom lip and he let out the groan he’d repressed before. He tried to pull her closer, letting his hands travel down her back. She made a move as if to straddle him when–

“Where’s the bartender?”

The jumped apart and turned to the door. Penelope, Kiara and other partygoers were coming into the bar. 

“More champagne!” Kiara was yelling, all dignity left behind.

The only thing Drake could find to be thankful for in this situation was that everyone was so drunk and wrapped up in partying that they hadn’t noticed he and Riley making out. 

He realized their hands were still intertwined on his lap and let go sheepishly. “Looks like the party found us.”

She sighed sadly. “It’s not really a night where you can get any privacy, is it?”

He fought against every instinct to say, “You’d better head back inside.”

She stood up and looked back. “What about you?”

“I’ll be out here until...” he gulped down his drink, “it’s time.”

If it hadn’t been for yesterday, he would use this time to get as drunk as humanly possible. He wasn’t about to do that again, though, so he just finished his drink and sat there, numb. 


	19. Long Live the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Liam choose Riley? Will she choose him back? Obviously you know the story.

He couldn’t tell how long he’d been sitting there, trying to gather the strength to stand up and pour himself another drink, when a raspy voice asked, “This seat taken?”

He looked up to see a familiar face. “Leo!”

He got up so he could shake hands with the handsome man, who clapped his back.

“Hey, Drake. It’s good to see you.”

“You too, man! I didn’t know you were coming but I guess I should’ve guessed.”

“Yeah, I may be the black sheep of the family but I got Liam’s back.”

Drake bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something rude. As much as he liked Leo – and he did; the man was as different from the other nobles as one could be – he couldn’t agree with that. Leo had always been... not selfish, exactly, but he definitely looked out for his own happiness before others’. 

Come to think of it, Drake wasn’t sure whether to resent or admire him. One thing was certain, he could learn a thing or two from Leo’s certainty that he deserved to be happy.

Drake cast about for something to change the subject and landed on, “So where’s your wife? Liam told me you got married recently?”

A huge smile spread on Leo’s face. “I did. She couldn’t come, unfortunately. She’s in the middle of setting up her own home decor shop so this was a very inconvenient time for her.” He grimaced. 

“Oh, cool. Well, you seem happy.”

“So happy. I can’t even explain what it’s like, knowing someone will be there for you no matter what, that they love you with all of your flaws and baggage, that they’ll make everyday an adventure...” he trailed off dreamily.

Drake was feeling more than a little uneasy at this sentimental monologue, not least because he could think of only one person he believed could fit that criteria. He cleared his throat and reached for his glass, taking an imaginary sip of his nonexistent drink.

“Forgive me, I tend to get emotional when I talk about Mia. I very much hope Liam finds the same thing for himself tonight.”

“Oh, he will,” muttered Drake.

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Do you mean that girl Riley I’ve been hearing so much about? What is she like?”

“She’s, uh, she’s something else.” He licked his lips. “She’s confident and fun, but she still knows when to be serious, and she can talk a lot, but is a fantastic listener–” 

He cut himself off before he went on a full-on rant about Riley Addam’s many qualities. 

“She’ll... make a great queen,” he finished weakly.

“Well, you make her sound delightful! I was already hoping to meet her tonight, but now you’ve made it my mission! But how is she with Liam? Do they make a good couple?”

“I-”

He hadn’t actually asked himself that. He’d been so busy assuming that Liam would pick Riley and vice versa, that he hadn’t stopped to think whether they made a good couple. He knew he’d be biased, but he tried his best to think about this coldly.  _What even makes a good couple?_

One the one hand, both of them were harmonious, cooperative people – unlike him – so they probably wouldn’t have too many big fights. Not only that, but their different types of wisdom complemented each other and they were both highly empathetic people; he was sure they’d make for exceptional rulers.

And yet... It was painful to admit this to himself, given that Drake knew his feelings for Riley would never be anything other than a fool’s wish, but he didn’t think he’d ever seen her laugh or joke around with Liam as much as she did with him. It wasn’t Liam that she was sneaking off with during boring functions. 

And then there was the grateful look on her face as she’d said, “it felt good to tell someone,” after sharing something so deeply personal...

But no, he wasn’t being fair. She’d surely been on countless dates with Liam by now and who was to say she hadn’t been even more affectionate with him than she’d ever been with Drake? Who was to say they hadn’t already–

His nostrils flared _._

_Hell no, please don’t go there._

In order to distract himself from the uncomfortable truth that he’d have to get used to the idea of Riley having sex with Liam soon –  _they’re getting engaged, you dickhead!_ – he returned to the conversation he had mentally left for a little too long.

“Yes,” he finally answered firmly. “They make a good couple.”

He was relieved to see that Leo seemed to be taking his weirdness in stride. He probably thought Drake was drunk and spaced out.

“I’m glad. I trust your opinion, Drake. And what about you? Wedding bells on the horizon?”

Drake snorted.

“Not quite.”

“Living that bachelor life, eh? That can be fun too!” Leo gave him a devilish grin. “But when you do settle down, make sure it’s with someone you enjoy spending the quiet moments in life with.”

In a flash, Drake saw himself drinking whiskey with Riley, celebrating the moments in between. He blinked several times rapidly, his eyes feeling watery.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Oh, and please give Liam noogies every now and then to remind him of me.”

“Ha! Only if you promise not to ask him the same thing!”

Leo shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t promise that.”

They laughed and walked back into the ballroom together. Leo promptly asked Drake to point out Riley. He did so with a smile, watching her talk to Maxwell in that animated way of hers. 

Once Leo had left him to go introduce himself, Drake ordered a drink from the bartender and went back to sulking in his corner. Before long, Hana found him.

“Are you ready?” she almost whispered.

They each avoided the other’s eyes, looking straight out at the ballroom, and probably at the same person.

“Not nearly. You?”

“I... think I’ve made my peace with it,” she answered, still quietly. “Telling her really helped, so thank you for your advice.”

Drake choked on his drink and whipped around to look at Hana open-mouthed. “You–you told her?

She gave a small nod.

Haltingly, Drake asked, “So... what did she, um, say?”

“Oh,” Hana shrugged carefully, but there was no keeping the hurt from her voice, “what you’d expect. She said...” her voice wavered, yet she didn’t cry. Drake felt his admiration for her grow. 

“She said I’m her best friend and, although I can’t deny I’d hoped for more, that’s enough for me.”

Drake squeezed her hand.

“You’re a class act, Hana. And brave, too. I’m gonna miss you and I’m glad we’re... friends.”

Hana stared at him, her eyes and mouth equally wide. “You said it! Voluntarily!”

“Shh!” Drake elbowed her lightly. “I’ve got a reputation to maintain!”

Hana giggled and mimed zipping her mouth shut. 

Across the room, somebody cleared their throat importantly. They turned to see King Constantine rising from his chair. 

He said, “If I may have everyone’s attention, please...”

Hana and Drake shared a resigned look and started towards Riley, Maxwell and Bertrand, who were clustered near the dance floor.

“It’s finally happening...” said Hana, giving Riley a brief hug.

Drake balled his fists and set his jaw. “Here we go...”

A hush had settled over the room; all eyes were on the royal family.

King Constantine launched into what Drake thought to be a very self-aggrandizing speech about his reign, though he did pause on a sweet note, praising Liam by saying he couldn’t have wished for a better successor. Drake could not agree more; Cordonia had really lucked out, but he, the King, Riley and everyone who knew Liam personally had won the lottery. 

The Prince smiled softly and put an arm on the King’s shoulder, bashful at the compliment. “Father...”

“It’s true,” Constantine continued. He looked over to Leo, who was standing next to the Queen. “I love your brother, but you will be the King that Cordonia needs. Reliable, steady, wise, just. Though you weren’t born to be my successor, it feels as though this outcome was inevitable.” 

There was a pause during which King Constantine looked at each other smilingly. Drake felt like he was interrupting a personal moment. 

“Liam, you are ever bit the King I always hoped you’d be. Today, I pass the royal signet ring to you.” The King took the signet off and slid it onto Liam’s finger. “Cordonia is yours, my son.”

Beside him, Riley cupped her hands and cheered, “Let’s hear it for Liam!” startling Drake into jumping. 

Recovering from the scare, he chuckled and shook his head, clapping for Liam until his hands stung. 

“Lady Riley, compose yourself,” chided Bertrand, which only made it funnier. 

Liam looked like he was holding in laughter as he winked at Riley. The applause and cheers quickly faded so Liam could speak, “Thank you all for being here tonight. This is an incredible honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I only hope I can serve Cordonia with the distinction that my father did.”

Drake scoffed internally at that. Liam would be a far better king than his father ever was; he was already a better man.

Liam bowed at his father and hugged him formally.

Queen Regina came forward with her usual grace. “And now the time has come. Your Prince will choose his bride.”

Drake’s stomach leaped in a way that made him feel more hungover than he had all day.

Constantine and the Queen thanked the suitors for participating in the social season and spouted some – in Drake’s opinion – bullshit about how they could all make great queens.

 _Come on, Penelope? Maybe if you wanted Poodle Day to become a national holiday. And I’m sure I’d be first in line to the guillotine if Olivia were queen._  

He shuddered.

The Queen’s voice, which sounded more shaken than he’d ever heard her, took him out of his thoughts. “If you’ll excuse us one moment.”

The Queen and Constantine were whispering with a royal advisor. Constantine waved Liam over. His brow furrowed, Liam strode to them and joined the whispers.

It wouldn’t take long for the crowd to start murmuring among themselves, but as of that moment, you could have heard a pin drop. Which is why, when the first phone buzzed, everyone’s heads turned as one in the general direction of the sound. A few seconds later, however, two more went off, and then five, and then too many to keep track of.

He heard Madeleine’s prim voice exclaim, “ _Oh my!_ ”

“Oh non,” said Kiara.

Penelope, a hand on her chest, said, “She  _wouldn’t..._ ”

Maxwell’s phone buzzed and he snatched it out of his pocket. His eyes widened in horror. “Bertrand!”

It felt like a heavy rock had dropped inside Drake’s stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.

“ _What?_ ” Bertrand snarled.

Maxwell showed him his phone and Drake leaned in to take a peek. It was a photo of Riley wearing a familiar pink bra and kissing – or rather, being kissed by – Tariq.

Drake felt his whole body grow hot and he clenched his fists even tighter than they already had been. “Those  _bastards!_ ”

Riley turned to look at him, her eyes huge with fear. “Drake...” she said slowly, “I have a feeling I know exactly what this is. That night Tariq thought I walked into his room...” 

She gulped and then carried on, her voice monotonous and defeated. “Someone got photos of it, didn’t they? And they’re using them to set me up.”

Hana’s hand was on her mouth. “It’s all over the news!”

She showed Riley her phone, which was covered in headlines of the same news: the “slutty” suitor who humiliated the prince by being caught hooking up with his friend.

Drake yanked the phone out of Hana’s hand. 

_What was she thinking, showing her that?!_

Riley’s eyes were filling with tears. “But...”

Several guards came seemingly from out of nowhere and surrounded Riley. Drake could do nothing but stand there stupidly. In fact, he only realized one of them was Bastien when he heard him speak.

“I’m so sorry, Lady Riley, but I’ve been ordered to escort you out... immediately. Along with the representatives from House Beaumont.”

Drake gaped at him. _Escort them out?! What the fuck?!_

Bertrand seemed to agree with him, albeit more politely. “This is absurd!”

“You can’t do this to Riley!” cried out Maxwell.

A couple of guards grabbed the Beaumonts roughly, and Bastien and another guard seized Riley, dragging her to the door.

Drake’s brain finally kicked into action and he pushed his way to Bastien, roaring, “Get your hands off her!”

Without thinking, he punched Bastien, who doubled over, leaving Riley free on one side. Before she could take advantage though, another guard took Bastien’s place. 

Drake’s friend slowly straightened up and he was surprised to see no anger in Bastien’s eyes, but rather a profound sadness. Not that he cared at the moment as he struggled helplessly, being held back by guards as his friends and one of his favorite people in the world were forced out the door.

“Riley!” He’d never heard Hana so out of control. She was being kept back as well and was fighting tooth and nail to get away.

From the dance floor, Liam’s voice boomed over the chaos that now dominated the room. “Where is Lady Riley? Riley!” He looked for her frantically.

Riley’s voice came in a shrill yell from the door as she still resisted security, “Liam!”

Despite the din, the Queen’s voice rang through the commotion, “Given the circumstances, I’m sure Lady Riley has withdrawn from consideration.”

The insensitive announcement was enough to stun him into giving up the fight.

_Unbelievable. Unbe-fucking-lievable. These people have no shame._

“But...” Liam was saying desperately, still searching for Riley, “I need to speak with her.”

The Queen whispered something in Liam’s ear, which made his face harden, even as his eyes still were wide with shock and sadness.

Constantine cleared his throat. “And now, Prince Liam  _must_ make his choice.”

Liam sighed and came forward. Drake had never seen him scowl that much. “I choose... Lady Madeleine.”

There where a few scattered claps, but for the most part, the audience seemed too appalled to do much.

Madeleine, however, didn’t seem to mind as came forward with a grin from ear to ear. “I’m deeply, deeply honored to accept.”

She curtsied before Liam, then gripped his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. 

As everyone stared, aghast, Drake looked to the door, where Riley had been enduring the guards’ efforts to force her out. He wasn’t expecting to find her looking at him instead of at Liam, her eyes brimming with tears.

The guards at last succeeded in ejecting Riley from the room, slamming the door after them. Drake fought to break free for a few seconds longer, until the futility of it really sunk in. He let his hands fall to his sides.

His eyes met Liam’s and he could see they were thinking the same thing:  _This isn’t over._


End file.
